


The Night, She Calls Me

by stopmysinfulhand



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Blood, F/M, Flying, Jealousy, Mental connection, Possessive Sex, Smut, Undertones of power imbalance, Vaginal Sex, Vague setting, Vampires, Wall Sex, Werewolves, born sexy yesterday, flash backs, mind powers, vampire!Loki, vampire!reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:21:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 36,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22354027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopmysinfulhand/pseuds/stopmysinfulhand
Summary: You were born from the grave, put there by your sire, Loki Laufeyson. With your rebirth comes many questions, most importantly, who was Loki, really?
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader, Loki/Reader, Loki/you
Comments: 62
Kudos: 222





	1. I. Creation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of fic inspired by the song The Night by Voltaire. (which you can listen to here https://youtu.be/-WsZ2fUXbZg )

You were born from the grave. The Earth was your mother; her rich soil cradled your cold body like a womb. You absorbed her life, her nutrients, her warmth, and in return she molded you, gave you new life, new purpose. Replenished, ready to be birthed, you tore your way out through six feet of dirt. It was not pretty work. Your hands were bloodied by the time you pushed your way through her crust, your eyes blind to the shining moon. It hurt. Everything hurt. Your dead lungs took in air; your dry throat cracked under the pressure. Much like a newborn babe, your first utterance was purely instinctual. You cried out. You wailed; you caterwauled. The sound split the cool night sharply in two, echoing through the graveyard. 

Strong, delicate hands lifted you from the grave. Something lukewarm and penny-scented was dribbled onto your lips. You parted them, and cringed as the first droplets hit your tongue. A primal part of your brain, a very fast fading part, rejected the taste. The new part welcomed it fully, and soon you were sucking greedily from the source. Pain turned to ecstasy to hunger, and soon you had drained whatever it was you were drinking from. You opened your eyes to find a crumpled IV bag in your now fully healed hands, and a man cradling you, cooing encouraging words as you fed. His voice had the silky smoothness of an accent, with the soft tinge of wealth. As your eyes adjusted further, you could see pale skin and dark, shoulder-length hair. The longer you looked at him, the more dazzling he became. Ice blue eyes stared back at you. He handed you another bag, this one full. You drained it in seconds.

“Feel better?” he asked, bemusement plain on his face.

“Yeah,” you croaked. Ah, your vocal cords weren’t quite ready yet. 

The man told you as much. “It will get better,” he assured you. He stroked your dirty hair. His eyes were kind and unjudging. You felt a connection to him, a tether that tied the two of you together. 

“Who—?” Your voice cut out, frustrating you. You could feel an insistent pressure on your bottom lip. The pain started to creep back, starting in your hands and feet, twisting up your limbs. You seized and curled into a ball, crying out again.

“Patience, darling, don’t strain yourself,” the man said. He offered you another bag of red. You took it, tore it open with your teeth, and drank greedily. The pain ebbed away again, a tide that you were sure would soon return. You coughed and wiped your dirty face. You were starting to feel like your old self, whoever that was. 

“Remember your name, love?”

You shook your head; you didn’t. Whoever you had been before the grave didn’t matter much now. Her memories buzzed angrily in the back of your skull, but you ignored them. That was not your problem at the moment. 

You pointed at the man. He gave you a lilting smile. “Who am I?” he asked for you. You nodded quickly, mute from your aching throat. “I’ll tell you.”

“I am Loki,” the man, Loki, announced. “I am your creator and master.”

You pointed to yourself.

Loki told you your name. “You’re my creation,” he said joyfully. “My protégé.” 

“Creation?” you repeated, speech jerky. You sounded better than before. Your throat was finally healing. Whatever he had fed you was doing its job.

“Yes, my darling.” He squatted next to you and took your hands. “Let me explain.” He pointed to your wrist, where there was a thin, silver scar. “I drank from you, and then.” He showed you a matching scar on his wrist. “You drank from me. By trading life, we became one.” He grinned. “And now here you are! Born anew.” He pulled you to your feet and rubbed a streak of dirt off your face. 

“Why?” you asked in your creaking voice. 

“Because that is what you asked for, my sweet,” he cooed. You were easily lulled into a sense of security. In your heart, you knew he was right. How could he not be? What could be wrong about this? 

Your legs began to quake, so you leaned against your master. A pleased hum reverberated in his chest and he held you close. “That’s it, darling. Come, let’s go home.”

Home. The idea was pleasurable to you. Your past self had memories of home, and they leaked into your mind. Home was a place of warmth and comfort, and most of all, a place where you could remove all of the dirt that was really starting to bug you. So, you allowed Loki to lead you from the cemetery, the only place the new you knew, and found solace in the fact that your creator seemed to know what he was doing.

* * *

The home Loki spoke of was a dark, elegant house, with spires that punctured the sky and a creaking iron gate that separated the sidewalk from the walkway to the door. He led you up the walk, locking the gate behind him, and ushered you into the house. It was two stories, with an interior almost as dark as the outside. Heavy black curtains blocked the windows. There was a mirror on the wall in the foyer, framed in what appeared to be real gold, but it proved useless as you walked past it. You no longer had a reflection. 

Loki brought you to his bedroom upstairs. It was lavish and large, draped in green and gold and black. The bathroom was even more lavish. Black tile coated everything, shining subtly as he turned on the light. A large, square bathtub stood in the center of the room, and Loki went about drawing a bath. Once it was full, and the water was a temperature he found acceptable, he turned to you. “This is for you, darling,” he cooed. “Would you like help?”

You stared at the water. You approached the tub, steam rising to meet you. Your reflection was visible in the water and you recoiled at the sight. Your hair was an utter mess. You were covered in dirt. Tiny fangs poked out from the bottom of your upper lip, which you drew back to examine further. Loki repeated his question and you nodded, starting to climb into the tub.

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a moment.” Loki caught your wrist in his hand and pulled you back. “You need to undress first,” he told you.

You blinked at him. “Why?” you asked, voice nearly healed. 

“Because people don’t bathe fully clothed,” he explained.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “I’m not a people anymore,” you said dryly. “I’m… whatever this is.”

“Where’s your decorum, darling?” asked Loki. “In any case, I undress before bathing as well.”

You grunted. “So we’re the same?”

“The very same,” he answered smoothly, intertwining his fingers with yours. “We are one.”

You studied him until he began to look uncomfortable. “What?” he asked.

“You’ll bathe too,” you said, decidedly.

“What?” he asked again. His tone was shriller.

You began to take off the dress you had been buried in. Much to Loki’s dismay, you didn’t bother with the zipper, instead ripping your way out of it. It was ruined anyway, thanks to the grave dirt. You shimmied out of your undies and stood bare in front of your master, your arms crossed over your chest. “You now,” you demanded.

Loki clucked his tongue, but did as you asked, unbuttoning his shirt in a more civilized manner than you were currently capable of. Once undressed, you gave him a once over, appraising him. He certainly was handsome, his body lithe and pale, and obviously uncomfortable under your judging gaze. He got in the bath. 

You stepped into the water and settled against Loki, your back against his chest. It was easy to lean on him, as if his words were true and you really were one. You reached for his hand underwater and twined your fingers together as he had done earlier. “Will I remember?” you asked.

Loki didn’t need further clarification. “Yes,” he said softly, running his thumb over the scar on your wrist. “Tomorrow. You’ll remember. The first night is the hardest.”

“I’m hungry,” you whined. You lolled your head back on his shoulder and looked up at him. “Got anymore red stuff?” His eyes were hidden under thick lashes. You wished he would look at you. 

His gaze turned on you. It was as if he heard you. You straightened and twisted so you could look at him properly. “Did you hear me?” you asked.

Loki smirked. “Did I hear your question about the “red stuff”, as you put it? Yes, darling, I’m right beside you,” he drawled.

“No,” you said, slightly frustrated. “When I thought about you looking at me.” 

Loki nodded. “Very good,” he praised, and your frustration vanished. Pleased with yourself, you settled against him again. “Demanding little thing,” he chided. “I was only looking away for a moment.”

“A moment too long,” you said. 

“Very well. My eyes shall never leave you.” Loki nudged you so you would sit up. “Now, let me wash your hair. I’ve got a lot of work to do before the sun comes up.”

As Loki wet your hair and lathered it with soap, you absentmindedly drew shapes in the water. “What happens when the sun comes up?” you asked after a long lull in conversation.

“We go to bed,” said Loki, simply. 

You rolled your eyes. “Right,” you murmured. “Obviously.”

He pulled out a particularly nasty tangle and you winced. “I’m not keen on your attitude,” said Loki.

You exhaled heavily. “Sorry. I’m just hungry.”

His voice softened. “I know, darling. Nearly done with your hair.” He wet it again, washing off the shampoo. “There we go,” he said, triumphant. “Get up and we’ll get you showered off.” 

You climbed out of the tub and he pulled the stopper out, the water gurgling loudly as it entered the drain. “What was the bath for if I’m just going to shower anyway?” you asked, hopping in the shower as soon as it warmed up. 

“Best to rest your body for a while,” he said. “Besides, it was easier to wash your hair that way.” Loki smiled at you.

You exhaled a laugh. “You’re kinda weird, Loki,” you said, nudging him with your elbow as he soaped up a loofa. “Anyone ever tell you that?”

He shook his head. “I’m not weird. This is what sires do,” he said. “I wouldn’t expect you to know that.” Loki handed you the loofa. “It seems you’re competent enough to wash yourself now.”

There was a tug at your heart and your stomach flipped. “Are you mad at me?” You chewed on your bottom lip, your new fangs snagging the skin. “I’m sorry for calling you weird. You’re not weird, not really.”

Loki smiled. “I’m not mad at you, pet,” he said, and you believed him. He pressed a kiss to your (now clean) forehead. “Wash up. I’ll get your coffin ready.” 

“I have a coffin?” you asked. You distinctly remembered clawing your way out of dirt, not wood.

“Not quite,” said Loki. “It’s my coffin, but tonight you’ll sleep in it.” 

“Where will you sleep?” you asked in alarm.

Loki gently cupped your face, his thumb brushing over your cheekbone. “The bed, naturally. You’re not prepared for that yet, however. Your body needs to adjust to being dead.”

“That sucks,” you said lamely, and Loki laughed. You liked Loki’s laugh. It sounded like he didn’t do it often. 

“I don’t know about that,” he said once his laughter had ceased. “We’ll see. Wash up now, like a good girl. I’ll have clean clothes waiting for you when you get out.” 

He left you to clean yourself, and you did the best you could. The dirt was washed from your skin. You found you missed it once it was gone, but being clean felt nice too, as if a weight had been lifted off of you. You took the opportunity to check yourself out. You guessed you hadn’t changed much from your Before self, but your veins were visible, blue and raised just below the skin. Your nails were sharp, easily tearing skin if you pressed hard enough. You figured out you could change their length, and spent several minutes extending and contracting your nails as you stared at them in amazement. 

You rinsed off any remaining soap and stepped out of the shower, trying not to slip as you walked across slick tile. You walked into Loki’s room, still dripping. Loki jumped up from his bed and hurried towards you with a towel. “Wow,” he said, drying your hair first. “You really don’t remember.”

“Nope,” you said, popping the ‘p’ and laughing as he squished your face with the towel. “Not at all.” 

After your hair was no longer dripping, he handed you the towel so you could finish drying the rest of you. You did your best, but towels were hard to maneuver. “Loki,” you yelped, nearly falling over as you tried to dry your back. “Help.”

Loki sighed and came to your rescue, wiping you down with practiced ease. “You alright then, darling?” he asked once he finished.

“Yeah.” You went to the pajamas he set out on the bed and began to put them on. You almost got it perfect; the shirt was on backwards. Loki helped you fix it. Then, he handed you another bag of red, and you sipped from it instead of gobbling it down, like you really wanted to. “Was it like this for you?” you asked. 

Loki’s face set in a hard grimace. Your expression mirrored his, and when he looked at you, he couldn’t help but smile. “No,” he said after a long pause. “Not exactly.”

You waved your hands, encouraging him on.

“The memory bit, yes,” said Loki. “Everyone experiences that. Part of the rebirth process, I’m afraid.” His expression turned chilly. “Unfortunately, my sire was not present for my grave upturning.” 

A pain pierced your chest, and you instinctively cuddled up to him, hoping to soothe his own obvious pain. “That’s not right,” you said, your head against his shoulder. “That’s…” You searched your currently limited vernacular for a word that would properly convey the wrongness of Loki’s sire’s actions. “Bogus.”

Loki huffed out a laugh and held you close. “Indeed. Quite bogus,” he said. He checked his watch. “Let’s not talk about it any longer, hm? It’s bedtime.” He plucked the empty IV bag from your hand. 

As if on cue, you yawned. “Okay,” you said, suddenly sleepy. “Sounds good.”

Loki led you to an ornate wooden coffin at the end of the bed and lifted the top, helping to ease you into it. Once inside, you shifted around until you felt comfortable and stared up at your sire. “I’ll be right here when you wake up,” he assured you. Loki shut the lid of the coffin, closing you in with a soft ‘thunk’. As time passed, you could feel the rising sun pushing you into sleep, and you let it happen. Your eyes shut, and you were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm really excited about this series, mostly because I've planned it out pretty far in advance, which is not something I've really ever done before. I hope y'all like it and get as excited as I am. I've got some big plans for this one :D 
> 
> (Also, it's my birthday, so posting this is my present to myself.)


	2. II. Remembrance pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting.

Across the bar, you could see a man; he was beautiful, and he was looking right at you. A chill went up your spine. You had to look away. His gaze was too intense. It was unnerving.

Your friends had persuaded you to embark on a night out. A night of drinking and dancing, “and casual sex,” they tittered. You ignored the last part. That wasn’t your scene. The drinking and dancing, though…

The club you had been brought to was gothic and kinda scary, if you were being honest, but your friends insisted it was the new hottest spot. The interior was all black and red, and trance music thudded in the speakers, shaking you to your core. It was warm inside, a welcome relief from the chilly city air. The drinks were cheap and themed to the spooky atmosphere. You hesitantly chose one called The Witch’s Heart, and leaned against the bar as your friends drifted towards the dance floor. Your drink was sparkly and purple. A first sip proved to be delicious, so much so that it was hard to pace yourself. 

“Witch’s Heart, eh?” A male voice, accented, said close to your ear. It was the man who had been staring at you. Up close he was even better looking. His features were sharp, but delicate, and he was a sharp dresser to boot. He was in all black, like many of the club’s patrons, but he looked… classy. 

You swallowed hard. “H-How’d you know?” you asked. 

“One of my favorites,” said the man, and then he stuck out his hand. “Loki.”

You shook his hand and gave him your name in return.

“Come here often?” asked Loki with a smile.

“It’s my first time,” you replied, your eyes straying to your friends on the dance floor. 

He snapped triumphantly, drawing your eyes back to him. “Knew it. I’d remember a gorgeous face like yours in a heartbeat.”

You were glad the dim of the club covered your blush. Was he flirting with you? “Thanks,” you said lamely. “You’re quite the charmer.”

Loki looked amused by your comment. “I’m known to be something of a silvertongue,” he said. “In more ways than one.”

“Riiiiight,” you drawled, backing up slightly. “I think I’ll go join my friends now. Nice meeting you, Loki.”

His smile fell. “Wait.”

For some reason, you waited.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and you felt as if he meant it. “I didn’t mean to scare you off. I apologize for being too forward.”

You shifted from foot to foot and stirred your drink. A part of you wanted to rejoin your friends, but another, larger part of you wanted to keep talking to Loki. Afterall, he did seem genuine.

You retook your spot at the bar. “Apology accepted,” you decided. 

“Would you like to dance?”

“Oh.” You waved away his question. “I’m really not much of a dancer.” You were lying. You loved to dance; just not with other people nearby

Loki raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I believe you,” he said doubtfully. 

You don’t know how he did it, but somehow Loki coaxed you to the dancefloor, his hand hovering over your waist respectfully as you found a spot. 

He felt like water. His movements were languid and fluid, and when he touched you, the coolness of his hands made you shiver. In a moment of bravery, you pressed your hips against his and matched his movements as best as you could. Your cocktail had gone straight to your head and melted a few of your inhibitions. Soon, you found you were actually having a good time. 

You twisted in Loki’s arms and pressed your back against his chest, sliding against him as you swayed your hips. His hands slid from your waist to your hips. The cold radiated through your skirt, but instead of chilling you, it only served to heat you up further. 

You cracked open your eyes (when had you shut them?) and saw your friends sending encouraging hand gestures your way. One of them even mouthed “Oh my god,” and you couldn’t contain the giggles that burst from you. 

Loki’s voice swam in your ears. “Having a good time, darling?”

“The best,” you sighed. 

“Might I tempt you to another drink?” he purred.

As soon as he asked, you realized your mouth was bone dry. “Please,” you croaked.

Loki led you through the crowd, back to the bar, and soon handed you a bottle of water, which you gleefully accepted. You drank so deeply, a few droplets streamed from your mouth down to your chin. You wiped them away and sighed. “Thanks. I really needed that.”

Loki smiled. “Happy to help,” he said smoothly. “Does it feel a bit hot in here to you?”

Almost immediately, sweat beaded up on your neck and you nodded, wiping it away. Your cheeks were flushed, and you felt as if you were about to faint. “I think I need some air,” you said, dazedly. 

“Come with me, there’s a back door for smokers,” he said, nodding towards the side of the club. Loki took your hand and pulled you towards the door in question. His touch fortified you, and you felt less like you were going to swoon. 

Outside, the air was crisp and refreshing. Your sweat evaporated and a slight chill seeped into your bones as you leaned against the alley wall. You exhaled and your breath came out in a cloud. The back of the club was deserted, and it was just you and Loki. “I thought you said this was reserved for smokers,” you said. You crossed your arms over your chest. 

Loki shrugged. “Hardly anyone that comes here smokes,” he admitted. 

“Hm.” You took another swig from your water bottle. 

Loki’s eyes strayed to the door and then he looked back at you. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. “I think you should text your friends and tell them you’re out here,” he suggested. 

“What?” You blinked. “Oh. Right. Yeah, okay.” You rifled through your purse and pulled out your cell phone, sending a quick message in the group chat before putting it away again. When you looked up, Loki was much closer than before. “Good idea,” you croaked. 

“Your safety is my number one priority,” said Loki wryly. 

You had to tilt your head back to look at him. The security light on the building next to the club outlined his silhouette. You couldn’t see his face. 

“Why?” you blurted. 

“Would you rather it not be?” His voice was silky, and right next to your ear. 

“Loki—“ 

“May I kiss you?” he asked. No one could say he wasn’t polite. 

You babbled, searching for an answer. Did you want him to kiss you? You hardly knew him. However, he had been very nice to you all night, and he was very attractive… 

“Yeah,” you croaked out, eloquent as always. “If you want.” 

You could see the glint of his smile, and then his cool lips were pressed tenderly against yours. Loki was a good kisser; a really good kisser. Weak at the knees, you leaned heavily against the wall and brought your arms up around his neck, to steady yourself. His hands rested on your waist and did not stray from their spot, though he did pull you closer against him. He angled his head slightly and deepened the kiss. 

You had to pull away to breathe. You stared up at him with wide eyes, your mouth agape.

“May I kiss here?” Loki delicately tapped your neck.

Rendered mute, you nodded quickly, even tilting your head to allow for better access.

His lips were blissfully soft as they skated over your skin. Each kiss sent a thrill through you, and you clung to Loki, your hands clutching his shoulders as he unraveled you. You could feel his smile against your neck. “Alright, darling?” he purred

“Peachy,” you replied, your voice cracking. You cleared your throat and flexed your fingers, shifting from foot to foot.

Loki continued with his tirade of feather-light kisses. Body pressed tight against his, you began to shiver in earnest. His lips parted. You held your breath and let it out shakily as his tongue snaked out, tracing along the column of your throat.

Then, he bit you.

Your eyes widened in surprise and fluttered shut. Your heart hammered in your chest. A pitiful moan leaked from your mouth. Loki’s fingers dug into your waist and he bit you harder. You winced, and went limp against him. Your vision couldn’t quite focus so you kept your eyes shut. One of Loki’s hands left your waist to cradle your head.

You were weak, unable to resist as he latched onto your neck and sucked. Your last fleeting thought was a brief one about a visible hickey.

* * *

You woke up panting. The cover of the coffin had been pulled back and Loki stared down at you, his face a mask of nerves. “Sleep well, darling?” he asked lightly.

“You.” You sat up and pointed at him. “You did this.” 

“Well, yes, I—“ 

You picked up your pillow and threw it at him. “Bastard!” 

Loki caught the pillow easily. “Now, wait a moment,” he said hastily. “What have you remembered?” 

You climbed out of the coffin. The pajamas Loki had given you hung on your frame uncomfortably, and you adjusted them, huffing in frustration. Loki was fully dressed, impeccably so, and the fact fueled your anger further. “The club. Is that when it happened? Is that when you made me like this?” You stalked towards him until he had his back pressed up against the wall. “Because if so, I don’t remember asking.” 

“You just haven’t accessed all of your memories, darling,” said Loki. “There’s much more to the story. That was simply the first time we met.” 

You smacked his arm. “Was I just a snack to you?” you asked pathetically. Jesus, what was wrong with you? 

“Of course not, pet,” he cooed. Loki brought up his hand and tucked your hair behind your ear. The gesture made you melt, and you let out a shaky breath. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I got so angry,” you sighed.

Loki smiled sympathetically. “The Turning is a difficult process,” he explained. “I’m sure you’re also hungry.” From behind his back, he pulled out what you could now recognize as a blood transfusion bag. Loki offered it to you. 

“Thanks,” you said. Hastily puncturing the bag with your fang, you sucked it dry in a minute. You wiped the excess off your mouth and handed him the empty bag. 

“Better?” 

“Much.” 

“Good,” said Loki. He seemed pleased by your attitude change, and tossed the empty bag into a container labeled ‘biohazard’. 

“Kinda takes away from the aesthetic, huh?” you asked, gesturing to the bin. 

Loki smiled wryly. “I don’t know, I think it’s kind of fun.” 

You shook your head and grinned. “You know how I said you were weird?” 

“Haha, very funny,” he said dryly. “You’re a regular comedian.” 

“You think they let vampires do stand up?” you asked with a cheeky grin. 

Loki rolled his eyes. “So you’ve figured it out, I see,” he sighed. 

“Hard not to when I’ve already drank five bags of blood,” you mused. You stepped closer to him and trailed your finger up his pale grey button up. When your gaze flicked upwards, you could see something flicker across Loki’s face. “The memory helped too. You said there’s more?” 

“Much more,” said Loki. “We’ve known each other for quite a while.” 

“Quite a while to you, or quite a while to me?” 

Loki pondered the question. “Quite a while to you,” he answered. “Roughly a year before you asked for the change.” 

You pressed your hand flat against his chest and leaned against him. “In my memory, you were a very good kisser,” you purred. 

“I assure you, that hasn’t changed.” His hands hovered just beside your waist. 

“I think I’ll be the judge of that.” 

Loki’s arms snaked around you as you kissed him. You settled against him neatly, your hands going up to tangle in his hair. 

You were tempted to kiss him forever. Now that you were a vampire, you could probably do that sort of thing. Instead, you pulled back and grinned up at him. “You were right,” you mused. 

Loki smiled back. “Very good to hear.” His smile dropped and he looked thoughtful. In one quick motion, he scooped you up bridal style. Tucked against his chest, you felt safe, but that didn’t stop you from squealing. 

“What are you doing?” you asked, voice high pitched with elation. 

“Come along, darling. We’ve got a long night of adjustment ahead of us,” Loki declared. “First thing is getting you some new clothes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to the first chapter has been tremendous. Thanks y’all!! I appreciate your kind words more than you could know.


	3. III. Remembrance pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The connection.

Loki coaxed you through shops, buying you a whole new wardrobe that complemented his own. Colors were a big deal in the vampire community, apparently. Something about clans? Honestly, you sorta tuned out, distracted by the sight that was the city at night. Your eyes were more sensitive to light now, but your vision was also clearer, more focused. You were able to pick up sights you hadn’t seen before, and your ears perked up at the slightest sound. The whole thing was rather overwhelming. You told him as much in the car ride home. 

“I’m totally overstimulated,” you groaned in the passenger seat. Clutching your head, you missed the way the view of the city spread out into suburban sprawl. 

“You’ll get used to it,” he said gently. “Your senses are superhuman now, so there’s more information to take in and process.”

You huffed impatiently. “I don’t want to get used to it, I want to be fine now.” 

“Darling—“

The car began to feel too confining. The air was stale despite the air conditioning coming through the vents. You had to get out. 

So, you unbuckled your seatbelt, despite Loki’s protests, popped open the door and rolled out of the car. A few cars swerved to avoid you as you sprinted across the road towards the wooded area on the other side. 

You felt better as the trees closed around you. The further you walked, the more the woods blocked out the noisy highway behind you. Sounds of wildlife replaced the whooshing of cars. A wave of serenity rolled over you. You took a seat on the grassy floor and inhaled deeply. 

You felt Loki’s approach before you heard or saw him. Again, you could feel the draw your sire had, and he used it to reel you in. You stood and wandered idly towards his presence. 

It took seconds before he found you, and then the scolding started. 

“Are you utterly insane?” hissed Loki, his hands clamped onto your shoulders.

“I felt overwhelmed,” you answered coolly, your shrug interrupted by his vice grip.

Loki fumed. He had to take a calming breath before he spoke again. “(Y/N),” he said, steely calm masking his true frustration. “We don’t go rolling out of cars simply because we’re overwhelmed.”

“I have claustrophobia,” you said.

Loki looked at you, and you shrunk a little. “You slept in a coffin last night,” he said between clenched teeth. 

“That’s different.”

“No, it’s—“ Loki exhaled through his nose and finally released you, only to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Alright.” 

You shifted from one foot to the other. “Alright?” you repeated.

He smoothed his hair back. “Alright,” he confirmed. “It’s fine. Your instincts kicked in. I get it.”

“Exactly,” you said, relieved. “That’s exactly it.” In order to win back more of his favor, you cuddled up to him, idly playing with a strand of his hair while you kept your head against his shoulder. 

“I know you’re just trying to butter me up,” Loki grumbled, but he wrapped his arm around your waist to keep you against him.

You pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. 

Any residual anger drained out of him, and he sighed. “You’re such a handful,” he informed you. “I wish I knew what to do with you.”

You turned your head so you buried your face in his neck. “Carry me?” you suggested. 

“Carry you?”

“To the car. I am overstimulated after all,” you reasoned, looking up at him with a grin. 

“Why, you little—“ Loki tried to fight off a smile, but found he couldn’t. “Oh, I’ll carry you, alright.”

He hoisted you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and you shrieked with laughter as he started the journey back towards the highway.

Loki had just tucked you back into the passenger seat of his black Jaguar when the next memory hit. It was subtle, the corners of your vision blacking out like a vignette. You shut your eyes, and then you were fully in it.

You were back in your apartment. Your roommates were out for the evening, and Loki was in your kitchen, cooking you dinner as you lounged on your sofa. Your cat lay on your stomach, purring loudly. As you watched Loki cook, you mused to yourself about the irony of it; Making food for his food. 

After he bit you at the club, your friends had found you slumped against the wall, alone and asleep, and had assumed you had too much to drink. There was no way they could have known you were tired from blood loss. You certainly didn’t tell them. A few days later, you couldn’t get him out of your head. You thought about him constantly. 

He found you again, at the library you worked at, of all places. After a second feeding, he stuck around. 

About two months in, you and Loki built up an easy sort of routine. He only had to eat around once a week, which allowed you to rest and recover. You started taking iron pills. He made you dinner after work. He usually spent the night if your roommates weren’t home, but he was always gone in the morning. 

It was like having a boyfriend, but like, a secret boyfriend, who you weren’t technically committed to, because that was a weird conversation you didn’t even know how to go about starting. Honestly, talk about a power imbalance; he literally took your life force. Your mother would have a cow if she found out. 

So, Loki was just kinda there. Almost all of the time. 

“Soups on,” said Loki cheerfully, startling you out of your reverie. He set a bowl of pasta on the coffee table in front of you. “Hope you’re hungry.”

You sat up, displacing your cat. “‘M starving.” The pasta smelled amazing, and you dug in quickly. “Thank you,” you managed through a mouth full of food. 

“You’re very welcome.” Loki settled on the sofa next to you and flicked on the television. His arm rested on the back of the couch, his legs languidly crossed. He flicked through channels until he found something mildly interesting; some movie about superheroes. 

You finished your pasta in record time and settled back against him, nestling yourself in his side. “Is it a feeding night tonight? I forgot to put it in my calendar.”

Loki snorted. “Is that what we’re doing now?” he asked dryly. “Scheduled feeding sessions?” 

You looked up at him with raised eyebrows. “And what’s wrong with that?” you asked in return. “Seems very sensible.”

“Seems very  boring ,” he countered, mirroring your expression. “You know I prefer chaos.” There was an edge of mischief in his tone that made you shake your head.

“Maybe so, but I also know you get cranky when your hungry, and a cranky Loki is no fun at all.” You lightly booped his nose with your index finger.

Loki grasped your wrist and sneered. “Don’t do that,” he said, distaste obvious in his voice.

“Do what? This?” You shifted and did it again with the other hand. He grabbed the other wrist and tugged you into his lap. Loki’s lips went to your neck, and you giggled. “So, it is a feeding night,” you hummed. 

“No,” Loki muttered against your neck. He slipped his hand up your shirt and placed it firmly on your back. “I’ve just decided I’m going to ravish you.” 

You snapped back to the car with a gasp. The car jerked as Loki stopped short. “What?” he exclaimed, looking over to you. “Did you see something?”

“Huh?” You blinked and rubbed your eyes. When you opened them again, your vision was clear. Outside the windows, the world was completely black, but you found if you focused, you could see quite well, despite the lack of light. “No, sorry, I just—“ How could you explain what just happened? “I think I had another memory. Of you. Us.”

“Ah.” He settled and kept driving, soon pulling into the driveway of his house. “What was it?” he asked.

If you could blush, you would have. “Oh, uh, nothing super important.” You cleared your throat. “You made me dinner.”

“As in I—“

“As in, you made food for me to ingest,” you interrupted hastily, growing more flustered. 

He looked amused. “Are you alright?” he asked, reaching across to undo your seatbelt.

You smacked his hand away and did it yourself. “I’m fine. It was a nice and totally normal vision and nothing else happened.” You got out of the car. A solitary street lamp illuminated you as you rushed into the house, closing the door behind you before Loki could say anything else. You were upstairs by the time you heard Loki enter, the rustling of shopping bags giving away his location. 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he called playfully. He ascended the stairs. “I know you’re here. I can feel you.” 

You pressed against the wall of his room, just by the door. 

“You’ll have to tell me eventually, you know.” His voice was closer now. He was nearly to the door. “Or I could just find out myself.” 

There was a tugging in your mind and you put your hand to your forehead, willing him out. It wasn’t fair he was using mind tricks. You didn’t know how to do that yet, if you could at all. 

The bedroom door opened. You held your breath, unnecessarily. He stepped inside, not looking at you as he placed the shopping bags onto the bed. “Hm,” he said loudly. “I wonder where my little creation ran off to.”

You jumped onto his back. “Boo,” you said. Joy coursed through you, fueled by Loki’s amusement as much as your own. You appreciated the fact he played along. 

“There you are. You scared me,” he said with a smile. “But you know, we’re vampires, not ghosts.”

“Oh, sorry.” You released him and held your hands up in classic Dracula-about-to-pounce fashion, your fingers twisted into claws. You even extended your nails for good measure. “I vant to suck your blood,” you cooed in a cheesy Romanian accent.

Loki gave you a slow clap. “Forget comedian. You ought to be an actress.”

“Were you scared?”

“Out of my wits,” he assured you. 

“Good.” You went over to the bed and plopped onto it, laying back amongst the bags. “This Turning thing sure is hard work,” you sighed. “I’m exhausted.” 

“It’s been a busy night.” Loki regarded you with his hands on his hips. “It’s nearly sunrise, you know.”

You nodded. You could feel it. 

“You ought to have something to eat,” Loki continued. 

You sat up and made grabby hands towards him. “And you,” you said in your best Loki impression, “ought to come here.” 

“You’re a child,” he sighed, but went you, nonetheless. “I’ve created a child.”

You buried your face in his shirt. “Congratulations,” you said, but your sentiment was muffled by your sire’s torso. Loki’s hand carded through your hair. You could feel him exhale. 

“I’ll get you a blood bag, and then it’s straight to the coffin, understand?” 

You scoffed and looked up at him. “You’re not my dad,” you whined.

“No, but I am your master,” Loki said with authority. “And I don’t want you to be miserable tomorrow night when you wake up.” 

You grumbled. “Alright. Fine.” You pulled away from him and started to rifle through the shopping bags, taking out clothes and laying them out to consider them. Behind you, you heard Loki leave the room and descend to the first floor. While he was gone, you changed into the pajamas you had worn the night before, and waited for your blood bag. As much as his doting was starting to annoy you, you appreciated it. It was probably a “trying to be a better sire than my sire was to me” situation. Plus, your memories hinted that he must have cared about you at least a little before the change. 

“Here we are,” Loki announced as he entered the room. He handed you blood bag with a smile on his face. “Just for you.”

You took it and thanked him. As you sucked the bag dry, you noticed it tasted… off. “This tastes weird,” you complained, though it was empty by the time you said anything.

Loki looked sympathetic. “You want fresh blood,” he explained. “Bagged is a suitable substitute, good even, at times, but it’s just not the same.” 

You pondered the idea. “How do I get fresh blood?” you asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it obvious?” When you shook your head, he gave you a grin that showed his fangs. “You hunt, of course.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm from Texas, and most of our highways are lined with woodsy areas. I didn't exactly want to place this in Texas, because I really can't picture Loki in the Lone Star State, but also, it's kinda set in Texas so. Yeehaw. 
> 
> Hope you like it!


	4. IV. Remembrance pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story.

Loki was cold to the touch. You accredited it to his vampire biology. No blood to circulate meant no internal temperature control. You were more or less correct. Regardless, he was cold, and at the moment, that was annoying, because your naked chest was pressed against his, and you were cold. “I thought that would warm you up,” you muttered into his shoulder. 

His chilly hands ran up and down your back. “It did a little,” he said. “But it warmed you up, too, so now I seem cold by comparison.”

You groaned and reached down, pulling the blankets up around you. You rolled off him, though you were loathe to do so. Despite his chilliness, it was nice to touch him, and be touched. “Lame,” you lamented. “Cuddling after sex is essential.” 

He shrugged. “No one said we couldn’t cuddle.”

“But I’m cold,” you whined. 

“We could have sex again,” sugeested Loki. He turned on his side to look at you, a devilish grin on his face. “I wager that would fix it.” 

A zap of heat shot through you and you blushed, covering your face with the comforter. “Shut up,” you said. From behind your head, you pulled a pillow, and hit him with it. It hit his head with a satisfying ‘thwap’ and mussed his already tangled hair. You laughed as he snatched the pillow from your hands.

“Troublemaker,” he accused.

“Takes one to know one,” you said with glee.

You broke into a fit of laughter as he launched himself at you, peppering your face and neck with kisses. Once he resettled at your side, and you were cuddled up to him again, coldness be damned, you sighed, contented.

“Loki, can I ask you a question?” You looked up at him to see his eyebrow arched.

“About what?”

“You,” you answered.

He seemed to consider this, his hand coming up to hold his chin thoughtfully. You giggled at the sight, and Loki smiled. “You may,” he said. “What is it?” 

“How old are you?”

His smile fell slightly. He took another moment to consider. “Goodness,” he said with an exhale. “I suppose I’m nearly… a thousand, now.” 

You sat up and exclaimed in disbelief. “You’re lying! There’s no way.”

Loki snickered. “Nothing gets by you, does it, darling? You’re right.” He paused for dramatic effect. “I’m 800.” 

“Full of bullshit, is what you are.” You hit him with the pillow again. “I bet you’re from some snooty era, like the Victorian era, or the Edwardian era.”

“Edwardian’s much too recent,” he admonished, sitting up. Loki pushed his hair back from his face. “You’re awfully close, though.”

“Regency?” you guessed.

“No. Too specific.”

“Don’t tell me you’re old enough for the Georgian era.” 

“Bingo,” he said with a grin. “I was born in 1802, Turned in 1837.”

“Wow,” you marveled. “You’re so old. That was like, 200 years ago.”

“Brilliant math, love.” 

You held the pillow up threateningly, and he held up his hands in surrender. “So,” you said, drawing out the ‘o’. “How’d it happen?”

Loki’s entire face fell, and he leaned against the headboard, his eyes darting towards the door. “I think that’s enough questions for tonight,” he said with forced cheerfulness. “You’ve got to go to bed.”

“But Loki—“

He was up in a flash, and dressed so fast, you hardly saw him move. “I’ll be going now.” Loki pressed a kiss to your forehead.

You wrapped your arms around his neck to stop him from leaving. “I’m sorry,” you said. “We don’t have to talk about it.” 

He softened. He kissed you gently, a sort of apology in return. “It’s alright. However, I really must be going. You’ve got work tomorrow, and it’s almost 3 am.” 

“I don’t go in until noon,” you whined. 

Loki smiled. “Best get your rest, darling. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he assured you. He gave you another quick peck and then he was gone, leaving you alone in your dark bedroom. Not bothering to dress yourself, you sighed and flopped back onto the bed, curling up under the covers.

* * *

You woke up to darkness. “Loki?” you called out. Your voice sounded muffled. You tried to sit up and hit your head on the lid of the coffin. You swore loudly as you pushed it open. Loki’s room was illuminated by the lamp on the bedside table, but Loki himself was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, you raised yourself out of the coffin. “Loki?” you called again. “Where are you? I’m up.”

You could feel a tug in the center of your chest. You followed the direction it led you, down the stairs and into a part of the house you hadn’t seen yet. You stopped in front of a closed door. Loki called you in before you could knock.

The room was an office, or maybe a library. At the far end, near the windows that looked out on the backyard, was a heavy looking wooden desk. A large, green, wing-back chair was behind it, facing the door. The walls of the room were lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. Closer to you was a little reading nook, sequestered between shelves. There was a lamp, a small table, and two chairs, one of which contained Loki. He was curled up, knees near his chest and feet perched precariously on the edge of the seat, but he uncurled at the sight of you, setting his book down. You went over to him when he gestured for you, patting his lap. You sat on his thigh, cuddling up to him. 

“Good evening, darling,” cooed Loki, his voice rusty from disuse. “Did you sleep well?”

“You weren’t there when I woke up,” you muttered against his shoulder. 

Loki stroked your back. “I’m sorry. You were up early today.” He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. 

“Or you were just enraptured with your book.”

He chuckled. “Or maybe that, too,” he amended. 

“I had another memory,” you said. “Of you.”

Loki perked up. “You did? What was it?”

“When you told me how old you were, and then you left.” You straightened up so you could look at him. “That wasn’t very nice, by the way, although I think I know now why you didn’t wanna talk about your Turning. It didn’t go well, did it?” 

His face darkened and he looked away from you, his hand going up to his mouth. “No,” he said after a pause. Loki dragged his hand down his face. “It didn’t. It went rather poorly, actually.”

You took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry,” you said softly. “Will you tell me?”

Loki looked at you from the corner of his eye. “Do you really want to know?” he asked.

“I really want to know.”

He sighed heavily and leaned back in the chair. His normally good posture was shot, and he rolled his head back to look at the ceiling. “Do you remember how I told you that you asked me for the change?” 

You nodded. “I do. I haven’t remembered asking yet, though.”

The corners of his lips quirked into a slight smile. “I’m sure it will come to you soon.” He took a deep breath. “For the change to happen, the person being Turned has to give in to it. Your body has to want to survive, even if you don’t.” 

Dread filled you. You didn’t like where this was going. “You didn’t want to be a vampire,” you said quietly. 

“No,” he agreed. “I did not.

“I was born in England, in 1802, as you’ve surely remembered. When I was a child, I was very precocious. I kept to myself, mostly. My parents were wealthy. Well, my father was. He was a timber baron, and he wanted me to take over.” Loki coughed out a laugh. “I was not at all interested. My father spent most of his time traveling between England and Canada. He was a miserable man who made it his business to make everyone else miserable too.”

“What were you interested in?” you asked.

Loki smiled. “Biology, if you can believe it. I was fascinated by living things, particularly plants. That was a big time for science. A lot of discoveries were made during my living years. I even had dreams of being a doctor.” His face darkened. “I was in medical school when it happened.”

You held your breath. 

Loki settled in. You could feel through the bond he was pleased he had the entirety of your attention. “It was December. I had just turned 35 that June. I was in my residency after medical school, and I was nearly done.” He clenched his jaw. “December 17th, I was visiting a patient. Night came sooner than usual, and by the time I was done with the patient, it was totally dark. The street lights had been lit, but it was too foggy to really see anything.” Loki stared into the middle distance. “I was attacked.”

Unable to help yourself, you gasped. 

“I found out later it was a vampire named Laufey,” he said softly. “He was notorious for feeding and then forcing the change, burying his victims and leaving them. Either they made it, or they didn’t. I made it.” 

“He was notorious?” you asked, emphasizing ‘was’.

“Yes.” Loki’s smile was as sharp as a knife. “I tracked him down, and killed him.”

“Oh.” You pressed against him and nudged his head with yours. “I’m glad you made it,” you said softly. “I’m sorry you had to go through it alone.” You kissed his cheek. “You’re not alone anymore.” 

He managed a smile. “I know, darling, and I am grateful for you.” Loki pulled you close and pressed a big kiss to your cheek. “You’re my saving grace.” 

You giggled and wiggled off his lap. You pulled him up to stand with you, and stood on your tiptoes, kissing his lips. “Your saving grace is hungry.” 

“Hm. Well, you’re not ready to hunt yet, so you’ll have to settle for bagged again,” Loki told you. 

You groaned and hung off him dramatically. “Why not?” you whined. 

“Because,” Loki said, carefully detaching you from himself. “You’ve got no impulse control. You’ll drain your victim, and this is a strictly no kill territory.”

You groaned again. “Stupid vampire politics. Who says so?” 

Loki got that steely, ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ look. “There’s a clan in the city. They allow us to stay out here by ourselves. Be grateful.”

You stuck your tongue out at your sire. “Fine, I’ll shut up. Get me a bag,” you ordered. 

“Yes ma’am.” Loki saluted you and exited the room. 

You plopped down into the chair he vacated and picked up the book he’d left behind. You were about to open it when he returned with a blood bag for you. You exclaimed in delight and set down the book. “So fast!”

He smiled. “Darling, we have super speed.”

“Oh shit, yeah, that’s right.” You snatched the bag from him and sipped from it happily. “When do you need to eat?”

Loki smiled wryly. “No schedules for me anymore,” he said. “Now that I’ve Turned my favorite meal, I’m on a strict bagged blood diet.”

“Aw, you big softy.” You launched yourself at him and peppered his face with kisses. 

He caught you with a laugh. “I’m not soft in the slightest, I’m merely waiting until you can hunt with me to find a replacement,” said Loki.

“Liar,” you accused with a grin. 

“Maybe.” He kissed you gently. “Maybe not.”

You drained the rest of your blood bag and handed it to him. “Are you gonna teach me stuff today?”

“Haven’t you learned enough?” he complained. 

“My thirst for knowledge is as big as my thirst for blood,” you declared. “I must learn!”

Loki dragged his hand down his face. “God forgive me, I’ve created a nerd vampire,” he sighed. 

“Teach me, teach me!”

“Alright,” he conceded. You cheered, and he held up a finger. “Go get dressed. Tonight, we’ll work on your senses.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me writing is basically just *violently projects my own interests onto my characters*
> 
> But you know what? Perhaps that's valid.


	5. V. Remembrance pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lesson.

At Loki’s insistence, you scoped out your wardrobe for something to wear. Knowing you’d be staying in tonight for lessons, you picked a pair of black sweatpants that probably belonged to Loki and not you, and a green sweater. To make yourself look a little less sloppy, you tucked the sweater into the waistband. You admired yourself in the mirror that hung in the wardrobe. For some reason, you could see yourself, unlike the mirror downstairs. You made a face at your reflection.

You found Loki in the backyard, resting on a chair next to the pool, because of course he had a pool. You sighed softly. 

The pool was lit, and illuminated Loki in light blue as he stared at the water. He didn’t look up as you approached him, but he reached out for you when you were close enough. Loki slung his arm around your waist and rested his head against your chest. In return, you gently stroked his hair. 

“Are you okay?” you asked after a while of him remaining with his face in your chest. 

He nodded and separated himself from you with a sigh. “I am. Let’s get to it.” Loki guided you towards the grassy part of the yard, and you could see instead of a fence, the yard bled into a thick line of trees at the back of the property. He made you face the woods and stood behind you. He set his hands on your shoulders. “Tell me what you see,” he ordered.

“Trees,” you answered automatically. 

You felt him chuckle silently. “Good,” he said. “What else? Try to look closer.” 

You did as he requested, squinting slightly. Your vision sharpened and the woods seemed to lighten. Shapes became visible, and by focusing harder, you could see them clearly. “There’s a deer,” you said in delight. “It’s grazing.” You pointed towards the treetops. “There’s an owl up there.”

“What kind?”

You squinted harder. A moon shaped face turned to stare back. “A barn owl, I think.”

“Good,” he praised, squeezing your shoulders. “Now close your eyes.”

You did as instructed.

“I want you to listen. I know your ears are good, you’ve already proven that, but practice. What do you hear?” he asked.

The sounds of the small forest echoed towards you as you listened. Behind you, you could hear the soft lap of the pool water against the wall as the wind cause ripples through the water. You could hear Loki shift ever so slightly, the soft brush of his clothing like the tearing of paper. You whimpered. “Too much,” you said.

“Calm down. Try to focus on one thing,” encouraged Loki. 

You decided on the pool. You zeroed in on the soft lapping and your shoulders relaxed. By focusing on one thing, you were able to block out the other sounds. “The water moving in the pool,” you said, voice full of relief. 

“Try something in the woods now.”

You turned your focus back to the trees. The owl in the treetops hooted, and you listened. “The children of the night. What sweet music they make,” you quoted. 

Loki laughed. “Don’t quote Dracula to me, tell me what you hear,” he mused.

“The owl.” You perked up. “She’s flying now.” You could hear the gentle beat of her wings as she swooped down from the tree. You opened your eyes and watched her rear up, her talons ready. She captured a mouse in one easy swipe and returned to the branch to consume her dinner. “Wow,” you breathed. “That was cool.” 

Loki pressed a kiss to the back of your head. “Magnificent job, darling.” 

A thrill ran through you at his praise. “Can we do touch next?” you asked. 

He let go of your shoulders. “Touch?” he repeated. 

You glanced at him over your shoulder. “You said we would work on the senses. Touch is a sense,” you explained.

Loki smirked. “I’m aware touch is a sense. What did you have in mind?” There was a dash of hope in his voice, and it made you smile. 

You turned and gestured towards the pool lounger he had been perched on earlier. “Go sit,” you ordered.

He hesitated but did as you asked, settling into the chair. He rested his elbows on the armrests and propped his feet up, crossing them at the ankle. “I’m sitting,” he drawled. “Now what?”

You joined him and straddled his thighs. Loki looked up at you with visible surprise. You started to unbutton his shirt. “Darling—“

You shushed him, and tugged his shirt, untucking it from his belted slacks. The last button undone, you pushed the shirt open. The moonlight mixed with the light from the pool and he seemed to glow beneath you. You started to work on the belt, when he grabbed your wrist, stopping you. 

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Touching you,” you answered. “Well, getting ready to touch you.” 

His hand flexed around your wrist. “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” said Loki softly.

“Why not?” You blinked at him. “I know we’ve had sex before. I remembered it.” 

Loki’s lips parted, as if he were about to reply, but he seemed at a loss for words. “You’re not—“

“I’m not what? Ready yet?” You lowered your voice to a purr. “Afraid I won’t be able to control myself?” 

Loki swallowed hard and slowly released your wrist. He leaned back, staring at you without speaking. 

You leaned down so your mouth was about an inch from his. “Afraid I won’t be able to take it like I used to?” you murmured. “Or maybe you’re afraid you won’t?” 

Loki growled. He actually growled. Otherwise, he remained quiet, even as you scooted closer, hovering over his lap. 

“I may be new to this, but I’m not a child,” you told him. “And I want to master all of my senses.” You slid your hand up his chest, pleased he no longer felt cold to you like he used to. He practically arched into your hand, chasing the feeling of your touch. “And you missed me,” you told him. “I can feel it.” You leaned closer, until you were beside his ear. “Imagine how good it will feel now that we’re bonded.” 

He shivered, his eyes falling shut. Loki still had yet to touch you in return, minus the wrist thing. He kept his hands to himself. “No,” he said, his voice cracking. “Not here. Not now. If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right.”

You moved to get off him, and then he stopped you, his hand once again going to your wrist. “However,” said Loki, “That doesn’t mean you can’t touch me.” 

You grinned and moved back, plopping yourself onto his lap. You could feel him half hard against you. You rocked your hips, grinding against him, and Loki let out a pained groan. His hands clenched your hips to stop them. “N-Not that,” he stuttered out. “Just touch. Above the belt.” 

“You’re no fun,” you said with a pout, but did as he asked. Your hands skated over his chest and he let out a sigh, his eyes closing again. Through the bond, you could feel his swelling arousal. You could feel it between your legs when you shifted your hips as well. 

“(Y/N),” he said, voice heavy with warning. He cracked open an eye. “I could let you not do this at all.”

You nodded, and he shut his eye. You smiled and leaned forward, grinding against him in the process. A bolt of frustration joined the arousal. “Oops,” you whispered in his ear. “Sorry, Loki, couldn’t help it.”

He grumbled, but let you continue uninterrupted. 

You kissed his neck and felt a jolt of electricity fire through you. Your senses really were heightened. 

He slid a hand up your back, causing you to press your chest against his as your nerves lit up. “How do you feel?” he asked in a whisper.

“Good,” you whispered back. “So good.” You hastily untucked your shirt and took Loki’s hand, sliding it inside. When his hand made contact with your torso, you gasped. 

You were rocketed into a memory. It was not nearly as vivid as the others, foggy almost, but you were there nonetheless. 

Loki hovered over you, his face buried in his neck. Heat coursed through you with each kiss he pressed to your skin, but you refused to give in just yet.

“Do you—“ You inhaled shakily. “Loki, stop.” You pushed him away slightly. He looked at you with a raised brow, and you continued. “Do you ever wish you had someone else like you?”

He sat back, pulling the covers with him. You fought the urge to cover yourself. “That’s a loaded question,” Loki said. He peered at you. “Why do you ask?”

You suddenly couldn’t look at him. “Well, I just wondered,” you grumbled. “Must be lonely.”

“I have you,” he said simply, and went back to kissing your neck.

“Do you ever think about the future?” you asked, chewing on your lip.

Again, he stopped and pulled away to look at you carefully. “There’s something you want to tell me.” He gestured with his hand for you to continue. “Go ahead. Let it out.”

“I want to be a vampire,” you blurted out. You covered your mouth with your hand after it was out. A wave of shame rushed over you. You couldn’t believe you said that out loud.

Loki waited a beat. “No,” he said resolutely. “Absolutely not.” 

“But—“ You sat up and reached out for him, taking his hand. “I want to be with you,” you protested. 

Panic passed briefly over his face. “Darling, you are with me.”

“Forever.”

Loki stared at you. “What’s wrong with the way we are now?” he asked, his voice weak.

“I want to be your equal.” He opened his mouth to protest but you cut him off. “Right now I’m just a meal.” Tears pricked at your eyes. “Not to mention I’ll keep getting older, and you’ll stay the same forever. How am I supposed to explain that? And if that’s not enough reason...” You shifted and crawled towards him, taking his face in your hands. “I love you.”

He inhaled sharply. “Don’t say that.”

“Why?” Your tears began to spill. “Don’t you love me too? Why can’t I love you, Loki?” 

Loki gently wrapped his hands around your wrists, but didn’t remove your hands from his face. “I don’t deserve that,” he said. “I don’t deserve you.” 

You shook your head. “What a stupid thing to say,” you said with a sort of laughing sob. “Of course you do.” You pressed forward and kissed him hard. “I love you.” 

When Loki said your name, he sounded broken. “You can’t love me. I’m—“

“If you say you’re a monster, I’m gonna punch you.”

He cracked a sad smile. “But I am,” he whispered. “You don’t know what it’s like.”

“I’d like to.” You slid your hands to his shoulders. “Make me like you. I know you can.” 

“I wouldn’t want to ever put you through that.” Loki grimaced. “Turning is an ugly and painful process. Not to mention to continue surviving you must take lives.”

“You don’t take lives,” you pointed out.

“I’ve been a vampire for a long time,” he rebuked. “I have taken lives before.” 

“Not mine.”

“(Y/N), you’re missing the point—“

“No!” You sat back and hit the bed with your fist. “You’re missing the point, Loki! And the point is, I don’t care. I love you, and I’m sick of waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” he exclaimed. “What are you waiting for?”

“You, you idiot! I’m sick of waiting for you to make the move. Can’t you see how much you affect me? How much I want to be with you?” Tears started to run down your cheeks and you brushed them away, groaning in frustration. “Maybe I’m the stupid one,” you muttered. 

Loki was visibly distressed. “You’re not stupid. I just can’t do it, (Y/N). I can’t subject you to an eternity with me,” he said. “No one should have to suffer through that.” 

“God,” you groaned in frustration. “You hate yourself so much you can’t bear the thought that maybe that’s what I want.” 

He opened his mouth to retort, but the memory faded away. 

You were back in the lounger with Loki. He stared at you intensely. You were crying without realizing it. 

“You said no,” you marveled. “When I asked, you said no.” You ran your hands through your hair and looked up at the stars. “God, I feel stupid.” 

“Well, you got your way, didn’t you?” he asked softly. 

You sniffled and wiped away your tears. “What convinced you, in the end?” 

Loki became grim. “I nearly lost you,” he said. “Death had you in its grip, and I ripped you back out.” He pushed your hair back and affectionately stroked your cheek with his thumb. “As much as I hated doing it, immortality without you seemed pointless.” 

You softened and pressed your cheek into his hand, tears once again pricking your eyes. “How did it happen?”

“You were in a car accident.”

You straightened, blinking away your tears rapidly. “What?” 

Loki looked uncertain, but he explained. “You went for a drive,” he said. “After I said no, you told me you didn’t want to be around me anymore, but I couldn’t leave you completely, so I followed you when you left the apartment.” He hesitated. “You were tired and distressed. The road you were on was dark. You swerved to avoid a deer and fishtailed. Your car rammed into a ditch. It was like I watched you in slow motion. Even with the speed, I couldn’t—“ Loki cleared his throat. “I couldn’t help you. You hit your head. You were bleeding out, so I did the deed.” He held up his wrist. “I drank from you, you drank from me. Then, I buried you in the graveyard you woke up in.” 

You stared at him. “Holy shit, Loki,” you whispered. “Holy shit.” You completely blanked for a moment as you tried to process his words. “Was the deer okay?”

Loki laughed aloud. “I just told you how you died, and you want to know if the deer was okay?” He shook his head. “You’re incredible.”

“Well?”

“The deer was fine,” he assured you. “It hopped away like nothing happened.” 

“Thank goodness,” you breathed, shutting your eyes. They snapped open again just as quickly. “Oh my God! What about my family? Do they know what happened? Do they think I’m missing?”

“Slow down, love, don’t overexert yourself.” He brushed a reassuring hand across your cheek. “Your family thinks you’re on a trip with me in Louisiana.”

You blinked. “They know about you?” you asked.

He scoffed. “Of course they do. We were dating,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

“We were?”

“You stupid girl,” he sighed, pulling you in for a kiss. “When will you learn you were not just a food source?” 

You bit back a retort and smiled at him. “Maybe never,” you said cheekily. “Just to spite you.” 

Loki rolled his eyes. He patted your thighs. “Will you get off me now?”

You pouted. “I wasn’t done touching you,” you whined.

“Well, that memory took up your touch time. Up, or else we’ll be ashes soon.”

You whined as you extracted yourself from his lap. Once standing, you tucked your shirt back in. “Don’t think this is over,” you threatened, pointing at him. “The sun may be about to rise, but I will pounce on you later.”

Loki snickered as he buttoned his shirt. He only buttoned it halfway, leaving a delicious amount of skin exposed. “I await the moment with baited breath.” He lightly pushed you towards the house and lovingly swatted your behind. “Coffin time.” 

Grumbling, you trudged inside and up the stairs, shedding clothing as you walked. Once inside Loki’s room, you slipped on your familiar pjs. You snatched one of Loki’s pillows from the bed so you could smell him as you fell asleep. Soon, you were curled up in your coffin, because let’s face it, it was your coffin now, and fast asleep, Loki’s pillow clutched against you.

Loki watched this happen with a fond smile on his face, your discarded clothes in his arms. Then, he shut the coffin lid. 


	6. VI. Transition pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pounce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Smut.

You woke up in pain. You cried out, the sound echoing in your coffin, and the lid was lifted. You cringed at the sudden light and hissed.

“Oh, my love,” Loki cooed, carefully lifting you from the coffin. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t feed you nearly enough last night.” He laid you out on the bed. The plush mattress helped a little, but not enough. 

“Hurts,” you ground out. 

“I know, darling. Drink this.” He tore open a blood bag with his teeth and pressed it against your lips. You sucked it down greedily, making a proper mess of yourself in the process. Loki didn’t care. In fact, he praised you for drinking as much as you did. 

Already you could feel the pain start to subside, and you were able to relax and sit up slightly, propped up on Loki’s many pillows. 

“Have another,” he said, offering you another bag. “Drink slow this time. I don’t want you to get sick.”

Again, you did as he asked, blinking up at him with big eyes. Once that bag was done, you felt refreshed. “Where do you get all these?” you asked. “It must be a pain.”

Loki smiled. “I have a contact in the city. I made sure to get a large shipment after I buried you. It takes a lot of blood to feed a newborn,” he told you.

You hiccuped and covered your mouth. “Is that what I am?” 

“Indeed,” he confirmed. “A shiny new babe in the grand scheme of vampirism.”

You laughed and sat up all the way, reaching out to him. He was at your side in an instant. “Thank you, Loki,” you said, pulling him onto the bed beside you. You climbed on top of him. Now that the pain had subsided, you remembered the flame of desire that had been coaxed in your belly last night. “I’m pouncing, by the way.” You unbuttoned his shirt easily and untucked it. Your actions remained unhindered as you undid his belt, and you grinned, pulling it out of his belt loops with a loud snap. 

Loki smiled and pulled you into a kiss. “Not much of a pounce,” he purred. 

“Not yet, anyway.” You unbuttoned your pajama shirt and took his hand, placing it on your bare breast. The resulting feeling caused you both to moan. Your nerves were already alight, your sense of touch enhanced by the vampirism. The bond increased it nearly tenfold. “How is it?” you managed to ask.

Loki circled his thumb over your nipple. The resulting keen you gave sent a shiver through him. “Different,” he murmured. “Very different.” 

“Good different?”

“We’ll see.” Loki moved his hands to your legs and flipped the two of you. He had you on your back, the pajama shirt splaying open, his hips slotted between your thighs. You were breathless with delight. 

He began to kiss your neck, and quick shivers rolled through you, causing your toes to curl. His hand returned to your breast, groping with a clumsy sort of feverity. Loki, who had, until then, seemed so sure of himself, pulled back to look at you, obviously very nervous. “Is this alright?” he asked.

“It’s incredible,” you breathed. “Don’t stop.”

Encouraged, he soldiered on. His lips met yours. He put more weight against you, pushing his hips into you. You rose to meet him, pressing back with equal pressure. 

“C’mon,” you taunted, softly, playfully. “You can do better than that.” 

Loki growled, taking the bait. A spike of arousal warmed you from the inside out. He dragged down your pajama pants, nearly tearing them in the process. He got them down to your ankles and then he was on you again, his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear. “Is this what you wanted, darling?” asked Loki. 

Speechless, you nodded quickly. You clung to your master, your nails extending ever so slightly as you raked them down his back. Loki let out a hiss of pleasure near your ear. His erection dug into your thigh, the fabric of his pants scratchy against your bare skin. 

“Tell me what you want,” he purred.

“Take your pants off.”

He followed your order at his leisure, standing beside the bed as he shrugged out of his shirt and tugged his trousers off. In the meantime, you kicked off your pj pants and tossed the shirt away, leaving you naked on the bed. Loki growled again as he covered your body with his. If his hand on your breast was enough to curl your toes, the feeling of his bare chest against yours was utter bliss. He kept his boxers on, a fact you found quite annoying. You told him as much. 

Loki laughed quietly. “Have some patience, pet. I’d like to take my time, if you don’t mind.” 

“I do.” 

“I imagine that’s about to change very quickly,” said Loki. 

His slim fingers slid between your legs, finding his mark immediately. Your breath was stolen the moment he touched you. He had the advantage of having explored your body many times before, when you were human. Loki knew where to press and where to stroke, and soon you were seeing stars. “Oh,” you gasped. “Wow.” 

“Wow indeed,” he murmured in agreement. Against your thigh, you could feel him rock his hips slightly. Another wave of heat rolled through you, and through the bond you could feel how aroused he was. The feeling of his desire mixing with yours was almost too much. When he slipped two of his fingers inside of you, you cried out, already teetering on the edge of orgasm. 

“So close,” you cried. 

Loki slid his fingers out of you, and you whined loudly at the loss. “Not yet.” 

“You suck,” you grumbled. 

“Don’t be stupid,” he said through gritted teeth. “If you finish, so do I.” 

“What’s wrong with that?” Your head cleared just enough. You were able to tug him closer to you so he was nestled between your thigh, and you shredded his boxers with your nails. They fell neatly off of him, leaving him bare in front of you. 

Loki did not look amused. “You have no patience,” he said flatly. 

“None whatsoever,” you agreed with glee. “Please fuck me.” To persuade him further, you bucked your hips. His cock slid through your slick folds, and you both moaned in unison. 

Loki murmured, “Insolent girl,” beneath his breath, but he seemed inclined to give in to you. “Only if you ask your master nicely.” 

“Loki,” you whined. “Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease—“ 

“Alright,” he said, interrupting you. “I yield.” 

You exclaimed with delight, the sound morphing into a moan as he slid his cock inside you. He was still for a long time, long enough for you both to adjust. The edge seemed very close, and it was very tempting to dive over it headfirst, but you held back, savoring the feeling of him inside you, savoring the connection. Above you, Loki began to shake. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He relaxed against you, and began to thrust. 

Your back arched off the bed. You felt as if you were floating, your eyes shut tight as wave upon wave of pleasure coursed through you. 

“(Y/N),” Loki whispered. “Open your eyes, darling.” 

You managed to do as he asked. Loki smiled down at you, and a quick glance around the room told you that you didn’t just feel like you were floating; you were literally floating a few inches above the bed, Loki floating with you as he rocked his hips into you. 

“H-Holy shit,” you sputtered, trying not to flail. Loki thrust into you particularly hard and you gasped, clinging to him. A wave of pleasure rolled over you and threatened to overtake you. “Loki—“ 

“I feel it,” he said. Loki held you tight against him, hips pistoning as he thrusted into you. “Cum for me, my love. Let me feel you.” 

Dizzy, delighted, and out of breath, you came, your eyes falling shut as mini fireworks went off in your head. You barely registered Loki’s grunt as he came with you, or the feeling of sheets underneath you once again as you both literally and figuratively came down from your high. 

Loki laid beside you, and you followed him, curling against his side. He held you close and kissed you. “I recall you saying cuddles after sex were essential,” he mused, his voice slightly husky. 

You grinned up at him, giddy and in love. “Yep,” you replied, popping the ‘p’. “I stand by that.” 

He let out a soft huff of a laugh. “Good to know some things haven’t changed.” Through the bond, you could feel a sudden surge of affection. 

You kissed his collar bone, the closest thing available. “Thank you, Loki,” you said softly. 

“You’re welcome, darling,” he sighed. “Though I suppose it is I that should be thanking you.” 

You laughed. “Maybe. I’ll take it.” You stretched up and kissed him on the lips before you curled around him once more. You let a moment of silence pass before you spoke again. “Soooo…” You could feel Loki’s intrigue. You pulled back to look at him. “We can fly?” 

Loki smirked. “More or less,” he answered. “It takes practice, but yes.” 

“Was Peter Pan a vampire? Cause it feels like maybe Peter Pan was a vampire.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re ridiculous.” 

“It’s a valid question,” you protested. 

“I’m going to get dressed.” Loki moved to roll away. 

You clung to him, stopping him from moving any further. “No! We haven’t cuddled for the allotted time!” 

Loki snorted, but laid back down. At your cheers, he playfully pushed your face away. “The things I do for you,” he sighed. “I hope you’re thankful.” 

You laughed and moved on top of him, sitting up. “I am,” you assured him. “Very much.” You kissed him quickly. 

Pain started to creep back into your limbs and you whined, plopping onto his chest. “Not again,” you said. 

Loki kissed the top of your head. “Now you must let me get dressed so I can get you something to eat,” he cooed softly, forcing you off of him. 

You laid on your back and kicked your legs childishly. “I hate this,” you whined.

He gave you a pitying look as he got a new pair of underwear from his drawer. The sight made you smile. You’d ruined his other ones. You were slightly surprised he wasn’t more upset about it. “Oh, I haven’t forgotten, nor have I forgiven,” Loki told you, answering your unspoken thought. He paused buttoning his pants to point at you. “No more of that kind of behavior, do you understand?” 

You stuck your tongue out at him, but nodded. “Yes, I understand.” You slunk out of bed and grabbed his shirt before he could, slipping it on and buttoning it halfway. 

Loki hugged you from behind, picking you up and making you squeal. “You little minx,” he murmured in your ear. “We’ll be in bed all night if you don’t stop.” 

You turned in his arms. “Blood first,” you cooed. You kissed him lovingly and grinned. “I’m keeping this, by the way. And you can’t put on another one.” 

You could see a flicker of rebellion in his eyes, but he simply smirked and said, “As you wish,” before vanishing. He moved so fast, even your new enhanced vision couldn’t spot him. You whistled lowly and sat back on the bed. 

Loki returned in milliseconds, offering you a blood bag. “Bon appetit,” he said with a smile. 

“Thanks.” Sipping from the bag, you sighed through your nose, the pain fading fast. “You’re fast,” you said once you’d finished your blood and tossed it in the bin. 

“I am,” he confirmed. 

“How?” 

He shrugged noncommittally. “I just am,” said Loki. 

“Could be cause you’re so lithe,” you mused, poking his slim stomach. “You’re aerodynamic.” 

Loki grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles. “And you’re silly,” he said decidedly. “Terribly silly.” 

“Maybe so.” You laid back and pulled him on top of you. Your legs snaked around his waist. A smile donned your lips. “Blood’s gone,” you murmured. 

Loki hummed in agreement, so you continued. 

“Let’s stay in bed all night.” 

He gently cupped your face and smiled. “How could I say no to you?” he cooed. 


	7. VII. Transition pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The exploration.

The counter was delightfully cool under your thighs as you sat in Loki’s kitchen, legs swinging, heels lightly knocking against the cabinet below you. At the stove, Loki slowly stirred a small saucepan, his brows set in concentration. “Will it really make it taste better?” you chirped.

Loki’s whole body unclenched at the sound of your voice, and when he looked over to you, he seemed, for the first time in a long time, serene. “Yes, darling, it will. Just a few more minutes now.” He plucked a thermometer from the drawer beside him and lowered it into the pan. “There it is. A toasty 37 degrees celsius,” he declared. Loki gestured for you to come over, so you hopped down from the counter, your feet hovering just above the ground as you attempted to fly. You managed it for about 10 seconds before you lost concentration and fell. Luckily, you didn’t have very far to fall.

“It didn’t work,” you said with despair as you trudged over to your sire. 

Loki offered you a blood covered spoon to taste. As you carefully licked the blood off the spoon, he sighed. “You just need to practice,” said Loki. “A little patience wouldn’t hurt either.”

You scoffed and took the pan from his hand. You took a glass from the cupboard and poured the heated blood inside of it. Sip. Sigh. Much better than bagged. “You were right.”

“I’m always right.” He took the empty saucepan from your hand and placed it in the sink. “Now, don’t expect this for every meal,” he cautioned. “This is just to start your adjustment period.”

You took another sip. Another sigh left you. “I thought the whole Turning thing  was the adjustment period,” you grumbled.

“Sadly not. You’ll need to hunt soon, and I don’t want you going berserk on me.”

You rolled your eyes. “We’ve talked about this,” you whined. “I’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. I’m confident in my self control.”

Loki smirked. “You displayed very little self control last night,” he chided. 

Your newly ingested blood went straight to your cheeks as you blushed at his insinuation, but you didn’t reply, save for an indignant exclamation. 

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Loki plopped the dirtied saucepan into the sink, pouring hot water and dish soap into it to soak. 

“When?” 

“Soon,” he said vaguely. When Loki turned away from the sink, you were right in front of him, startling him. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” You grinned up at him. “Did I scare you? I’m sorry.”

“You don’t seem sorry at all.” Loki flicked your nose affectionately and moved past you, exiting the kitchen. You attempted to float while you followed him, wobbling violently as you fought to keep your balance in the air. You yelped as you crashed to the floor in front of his study. At least you’d gotten farther than you expected. “Good job,” Loki mused as he stared at you from the doorway. “You’re a quick learner.”

You sat up and rubbed your head. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not,” you said. 

Loki helped you up from the floor, dusting you off, his hand lingering on your back before he pulled away. “I was being sincere.” 

“Sincerely sarcastic, maybe.” 

He walked into his office and took a seat behind the desk. “You’re difficult today,” observed Loki. 

You followed him, plopping down into one of the chairs in his reading nook. “Can’t help it,” you sighed. “I’m getting cabin fever.” 

Loki snorted. “Cabin fever?” he repeated. “You’ve hardly been here a week.” He fingered through papers on his desk, the soft rustling music to your ears. He took up a fountain pen from the stand on the edge of his desk and began to write in hurried, elegant letters. You moseyed over to his desk to watch him write. Soon, you felt icy eyes piercing you. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“Just looking,” you mumbled. Chastised, you went back to your chair across the room. “Your handwriting is pretty.”

“Thank you.” He resumed writing, effectively ignoring you.

You shifted sitting positions, slinging your legs over the arm of the chair. When that became uncomfortable, you laid back, your legs going over the back of the chair and your back pressed against the seat. For kicks, you attempted to levitate, and ended up somersaulting onto the floor. 

“Darling,” Loki said tersely, looking up from his scribbling. “Please.” 

“I’m bored,” you whined. “And hungry.”

Loki let out an exasperated noise. “I just fed you.” 

You mulled the statement over. “Maybe just bored, then,” you decided. 

“Can’t you find a way to entertain yourself for a few minutes?” he pleaded. “I have business to attend to.”

That peaked your interest. “Business?” you asked. You scrambled up from the floor and joined him behind the desk, depositing yourself onto his lap. “What kind of business?” 

Loki picked you up and set you to the side. “None of yours,” he said, in that firm tone he’d been using on you as of late. 

“Liar,” you said. “All of your business is my business.” You retook your seat on his lap, cuddling up to him and generally making yourself a nuisance. “You made me, remember? What’s yours is mine, and vice versa. So, spill.”

There was a beat where he just stared at you, as if trying to comprehend your line of logic, but then he sighed. Loki settled back in his chair and put his hand against his brow. “You’re a nosey little brat.” 

You grinned. “Most assuredly so,” you twittered. “But you loooove me.”

“Unfortunately,” he drawled. Then, he whisked you up into an embrace, pressing a big kiss to your cheek. “My business is my business. Maybe one day you’ll needle it out of me, but for now…” You were across the room before you realized what was happening. Loki set you on the other side of the doorframe and smiled at you. “Life is more interesting with a few mysteries.” 

Loki shut the door in your face. The tell tale click of a lock informed you he was serious. “No fair,” you called through the heavy wood. “Secrets don’t make friends, Loki!”

Through the bond, you could feel a spike of amusement, but you knew he wouldn’t budge on the issue. Grumbling, you wandered down the hall. Oh well. At least now you could explore without a chaperone. 

Already fairly well versed with downstairs arrangement (kitchen, living room, laundry room, etc.), you made your way upstairs. Instead of heading straight to the room like you normally did, you took a left on the landing. You nearly bumped into something big, just managing to dance around it without hitting your hip. You stumbled into a lamp and switched it on. The thing you almost hit was a pool table, and you let out a laugh. You didn’t take Loki for the pool-playing type. 

The rest of the spacious room was taken up by a comfy looking L-shaped couch. A flat screen was attached to the wall opposite. Upon further investigation, you found a dvd player, and when you looked to the left you saw a bookcase full of movies. “Oh, score,” you whispered aloud. 

Heavy black curtains hung from the wall in two places. Tugging one aside, you found a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. Delighted, you unlocked it and stepped through. The railing of the balcony was lined with potted plants, forming a miniature jungle on the second floor. A spiral staircase led off the balcony. You took another moment to enjoy the plants before you slid down the banister of the stairs, crying out in delight as you circled downwards. 

You landed lightly on your feet in the backyard. The light of the pool beckoned you, shining just beyond the corner of the house. You attempted to float towards it, bare feet barely dragging over soft grass. You landed on cement, almost toppling into the pool, but you caught yourself just in time. You let out another crow of delight. You were really improving. 

Through the bond, you felt a warm wave of affection. You turned to see Loki staring at you from the bay window in his office, a soft smile on his face. You waved, and he waved back, making you grin. 

An idea popped into your head. You gestured to the pool, your eyebrows raised. Loki made a big show of checking his watch. Then, you blinked, and he was outside, beside you, the french doors on the first floor wide open with the curtains fluttering in his wake. 

“Jeez,” you murmured. “So fast.” 

“Care for a swim, darling?” asked Loki, already unbuttoning his shirt.

You laughed. “I think I asked you first, but yes.” You shucked your shirt off and tossed it onto one of the pool loungers. “Are we skinny dipping?”

He hummed as he unbuckled his belt. “Depends on you,” he said. 

You slid your shorts down, kicked them off and away, and stepped into the pool. The cold didn’t bother you, and you fully immersed yourself, naked as the day you were born. 

You surfaced, flipping your hair out of your face, and shrieked with laughter as Loki hugged you from behind. You could feel that he had stripped down completely as well. “Happy to see me?” you teased. 

“I’m always happy to see you,” he murmured against the shell of your ear. 

You were practically purring as his hands cupped your breasts. “Get your work done, mystery man?” You rolled your head back onto his shoulder and looked up at him. Water droplets on his skin made him sparkle. The blue tint of the pool light made him look almost ghostly, his dark hair further emphasizing his pallid complexion. “Have I ever told you you’re pretty?” you sighed. 

Loki smiled. “Once or twice,” he said. “And yes, I did. Thank you for waiting.” 

You turned in his arms and threw your arms around his neck. Your sudden lunge caught him off guard, and the two of you sunk beneath the water as you kissed him. Without the necessity of breathing, you stayed under there a long time, kissing and kissing until your head was spinning. 

Eventually, Loki pushed back to the surface, dragging you with him. “You need to eat,” he reminded you gently. “Don’t give me that look. Remember how much you hurt yesterday?”

You sighed loudly and dramatically. “No fun allowed,” you announced. 

Loki rolled his eyes in equal dramatic fashion. “Excuse me for being concerned with your health.” He picked you up, tossing you over his shoulder as he waded out of the water.

“Loki!” you sputtered, pushing your wet hair out of your face. He set you down on the concrete, grinning broadly. 

“Be back in a moment,” he assured you, and he was back in two blinks with a towel around his hips, handing you a towel and a bag of blood.

You wrapped yourself up in the towel and plopped onto an empty lounger. Feet propped up, you sipped from the IV bag quickly, hoping speed would offset the icky taste. Unfortunately, drinking fast couldn’t help the aftertaste. You gagged once you were done. “It’s getting grosser,” you whined. 

“Only because I spoiled you earlier,” said Loki. He plucked the empty bag from your hand and offered you another. 

“Where did you even get that?” 

“Drink it.”

Pout etched into your face, you did as ordered. “Done,” you said, handing him the second empty IV bag. “Can I be done-done now?”

“I suppose,” Loki mused. “Only because you’ve been so good tonight.”

You lit up with a smile. “Charmer,” you purred. “Can we watch a movie?”

Loki looked up at the sky, considering. He even went so far as to rub his chin thoughtfully, really mulling it over. “Well…”

“You just said I’ve been good tonight.” You popped up from the lounger and wrapped your arms around his bicep, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. “Please?”

Loki looked down his nose at you, still not answering. 

“Please please please please—“

“What do you want to watch?” he asked.

You grinned. “You can pick,” you said. “I just wanna do something normal for once.”

“The vampire thing getting to be too much?” he asked, eyebrow quirked. “Tough break, darling. You’ve got a whole eternity ahead of you.” 

You scoffed. “No,” you said hurriedly. “I just… need to relax.”

Loki smiled. “I get it. I’m just teasing you.” He kissed your forehead. “We can watch a movie.”

You cheered and pulled your clothes back on, bounding up the spiral staircase to the balcony. You skidded into the game room, but Loki was already there, on the couch, remote in hand. 

“Too slow,” he teased. 

You stuck your tongue out at him. “I bet one day I’ll have a really cool vampire power that I can do better than you can,” you said, and settled beside him. 

“Oh, I have no doubt about that.” He switched on the player and pressed play. 

The title screen had barely popped up, and you were already yawning. Though the sun still had a few hours until it rose, you could feel the tug of death-sleep making your eyelids heavy. You snuggled closer to Loki’s side. The damp ends of his hair curled and tickled your nose, making you giggle. 

“Tired?” Loki cooed.

“Maybe.” You nuzzled his neck with your nose. 

“You don’t have to stay up.”

“Want to,” you sighed. “I like spending time with you.” A flash of joy passed through the bond like a heartbeat. Delight warmed your bones and made you sleepier. “You’re cute.”

“That’s supposed to be my line.” He pressed a kiss to your temple. “You know,” said Loki quietly, “I really missed you.”

“Missed me?” You glanced up at him. “You the one who made me leave the study,” you pointed out.

He shook his head with a wry smile. “I didn’t mean tonight, fool. I meant before your upturning.”

“Oh.” You thought hard. “I wasn’t gone for very long…”

“Darling, you were underground for a week,” he whispered, almost as if he were afraid to tell you.

A jolt of surprise ran through you, pushing away your tiredness. “A week?!” you exclaimed. “I was dead for a week?”

“Not exactly,” Loki said, trying to soothe you. “Your body was accepting the change and adjusting your biology. It can take a while.”

You flopped back on the couch, running your hands through your hair. “A week,” you repeated in awe. “I can’t believe it.” You sat up again and grabbed Loki’s hand. “How did you know I would make it?”

“I didn’t,” he admitted. “But I visited you every night and spent as long as I could by your grave to ensure you wouldn’t come up alone.”

“Oh,” you breathed. “Your dedication is incredible.”

Loki lifted your hand and kissed it. “Only for you.”

Without thinking, you replied, “I love you.”

He inhaled sharply, as if your words stung him. It took a moment before Loki said anything, but you let him process. Your memories reminded you that he did not seem to know how to handle a confession of love. 

“I love you, too,” he finally said after a lengthy pause.

You grinned and crawled towards him, kissing him gently. Loki was stiff and uncertain, but he let you relax against him once more. The tug of death-sleep became near inescapable. You were lulled into semiconsciousness, tuning out the movie you asked to watch. 

You were dimly aware that when the movie ended, Loki lifted you up and carried you to your coffin. The smell of him was everywhere, and you smiled. The lid shut. Death-sleep pulled you under, embracing you like an old friend as the sun began its journey through the sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda goin' through it at the moment, but vampire Loki helps me cope 
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am! I'm very excited to share the next few chapters with y'all. We'll finally get to see reader do some really vampire-y stuff. Stay tuned! <3


	8. VIII. Growth pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The preparation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Smut.

“Tonight’s the night,” Loki announced. You’d only just lifted the lid to your coffin, eyes still sleep-heavy, and you blinked at him. You had to crane your head back to look at him as he loomed over your seated form. 

“For what?” you croaked, rubbing your eyes.

“We’re going hunting.”

“We’re what?” You scrambled out of the coffin, crashing your chest into his as you tripped on the edge. Loki steadied you. “Sorry,” you mumbled. “Are we really??”

“Yes, but don’t get too excited,” he warned. “I’m hunting. You’re going to watch.”

Your protests were instant. “Not fair! I wanna hunt. I need fresh blood, Loki.” You just managed to stop yourself from stomping your foot. 

“And you’ll get it.” He remained cool and mildly amused at your childish behavior. “I’ll share.”

You scoffed, but held your tongue. You were grumpy, and you didn’t feel like giving him the satisfaction of seeing you have a tantrum. You had to show him you were ready; that you could control yourself. “Alright,” you said coolly. “I guess this will be a learning experience. See how the master does it.” 

Loki nodded with a smile. “Exactly,” he agreed. “Now, get dressed. I’m going to shower.” 

Never one to miss an opportunity to get naked with Loki, you surged forward. “I wanna shower with you,” you said, pressing against him. 

He eyed you warily. “Why?” Loki asked dryly.

You rolled your eyes. “Why do you think?” 

Loki hesitated a moment. Then, he sighed. “Fine.”

You cheered and sprinted to the bathroom to start the shower.

From the bedroom, you heard Loki call out. “I’m going to pick out your outfit, then.”

“Whatever,” you called back. At the moment, fashion was the least of your concerns. The water heated up quickly, and you were undressed in record time, standing under the blast. Bliss curled in your limbs as the hot water worked your knotted muscles. Your delight was only furthered when Loki joined you.

“No funny business, you understand?” He displaced you momentarily from the water so he could stand under it. Loki pointed at you. “We’re on a strict schedule,” he explained.

You stepped close to him, your chest grazing against his. “Not even a little funny business?” You trailed your hand down his arm and looked up at him through your lashes. 

You could feel his resolve weaken. “Well…” Loki trailed off. He looked away from you. “Maybe a little,” he said quietly. 

You laughed and flung your arms around his neck, pulling him into an affectionate kiss. His arms wrapped around your waist and you knew you’d got him. 

“Don’t be smug,” he murmured against your lips.

“Why?” you cooed. “You’re smug all the time.” He pinched your ass and you shrieked with laughter, swatting his arm. “Be nice!” 

Loki sniffed. “You first,” he said. 

You shook your head and kissed him again. “If I’m limited in my funny business, I’ll go as far as I can,” you told him. 

“And here I thought I was the trickster.” Loki shook his head and gripped your shoulders, turning you around so your hair was under the water stream. “We still need to do shower things. Stand still.”

You did your best to do as he asked, but then he was kneeling in front of you, and a flutter of excitement made you squirm. “What are you doing?” you asked, voice breathy as your arousal swam before your eyes. 

Loki simply repeated his order and spread your legs, depositing himself between them. 

“Loki, I don’t know if—“

He looked up at you. His wet hair was pushed back and you could see his sharp cheekbones with unprecedented clarity. He was so beautiful it made you ache. You shut your mouth quickly and did as he asked. 

You fixed your gaze on the shower wall. His thin fingers crept up your thigh and he tugged you a little closer. You held your breath with anticipation. His breath ghosted over your slit, and then his mouth was on you, his tongue sliding over your clit. 

You shuddered and threaded a hand in his wet hair. When you peeked down at him, his icy eyes were fixed on you. His stare increased the fire in your belly and you bit your lip. 

Loki carefully grabbed your ankle and guided your leg over his shoulder. You let out a shaky sigh of delight as he slid his tongue into you. He ate you out with fervor, paying extra attention to your clit. Your head in the clouds, you gripped his hair and more or less guided him where you wanted him. 

Your fangs extended and cut into your lip, but you couldn’t find it in you to care. His name warbled out of your throat as your climax approached, your hips subtly grinding into his face. Loki took it in stride, his left hand gripping your thigh intensely. You cracked open an eye and saw his other hand was busy. 

“Loki,” you moaned. “You’re unbelievably hot.” 

Through the bond you felt a wave of affection, pushed along by a surge of arousal that had you reeling. If you were close before, now you were teetering over the edge. 

You came with Loki’s tongue inside you. Shuddering, you nearly tipped over, but Loki steadied you, lowering your leg off his shoulder. He pressed one last fleeting kiss to your clit before he stood, wiping his mouth off. You leaned against him to support your shaking knees as he washed his hand clean of his own climax. 

“Aren’t you glad I showered with you?” you asked with a grin. 

Loki couldn’t repress his smile. “Perhaps,” he conceded. “Though, we haven’t actually done much showering.” 

“I’ll fix that.” You pushed him under the water and grabbed the shampoo, squirting a sizable dollop into your hand. “Lean down.”

He obliged, allowing you to shampoo his hair with minimal fuss. Loki returned the favor. Once your hair was properly washed, you sudsed him up with body wash and then yourself. You rinsed quickly, stealing a few kisses along the way. 

Out of the shower, it seemed Loki had a rigorous self care routine. He used a leave in conditioner, one he forced on you as well, and then began his skin care process, which you watched with intrigue.

“You know we’re vampires, right?” you asked as he applied a cream to the corners of his eyes. “We always look the same.”

He shook his head. “There’s no harm in a little hydration, especially when I haven’t eaten in awhile,” he explained. “Immortality has its limits.”

Once Loki was finished, he applied his cologne and deodorant, offering you the perfume and deodorant you’d picked out for yourself during his little shopping spree. As you applied the stuff, you contemplated the necessity. “Do we even sweat?” you asked. 

Loki had to think about your question. “We don’t so much sweat as… glisten.” 

You snorted. “Glisten,” you repeated. “Why, because being vampires makes us goth?” 

“Listen, it’s not as if there’s been extensive research on our bodily functions,” he said flatly. “I’m making guesses based on my own experiences.”

You could tell he was starting to get frustrated with you. You chalked it up to his hunger.

“I’m not—“

“You are,” you interrupted. “But that’s okay.” You leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I told you, you get grumpy.” You went into the bedroom before he could retort.

The outfit Loki picked out for you was laid out on the bed. He had chosen something subtle; black jeans, green t-shirt, black cardigan, and black cowboy boots. As you slid on the clothing, a sense of peace fell over you. The outfit felt familiar and comfortable, matching Loki’s color scheme while offsetting his usual formalness. It felt right. 

“Good to know I picked well,” Loki purred as he buttoned up his shirt. He was dressed in all black, save for a pair of green socks, just barely visible below his hem. His shirt was slightly open, just the way you liked it.

“You look hot,” you said. “Really hot. I don’t like it.” 

He laughed and kissed your forehead as he passed you on the way to the door. “Get used to it. We are our own weapon, after all.” Loki breezed out of the room. His footsteps receded down the stairs, and you sighed, following in his wake. Suddenly hunting didn’t seem so fun. “Buck up, pet,” he called. “We’ve got to be in good form if this is going to work.” 

You took a deep breath and shook out your limbs, cracking your neck with two sharp pops. “Alright,” you said. You clenched and unclenched your jaw. “Alright, I’m ready.”

Loki appeared before you and offered you a full IV bag. “Snack before we go?” He had one for himself as well, and sipped along with you. When he smiled at you, you could see his fangs for the first time in ages. 

You lunged for him, your fingers pushing at his lips so you could see his fangs better. “Look at that! Yours are bigger than mine,” you whined.

Smacking your hands away, Loki rolled his eyes. “My mouth is bigger. Leave me alone,” he grumbled. 

“Okay gru—“

“Do not say I’m grumpy,” he hissed.

You shied away, looking at him warily as you clutched your empty blood bag to your chest. “You’re scary sometimes,” you said.

Loki took a deep breath and smoothed his hair back. “Only when I need to be.” He plucked the bag from your hands and disposed of it in the kitchen. He stood by the front door, gesturing for you to follow.

“Do I have to stay in that stuffy car again?” you asked as you passed him. Stepping onto the porch was like being greeted by an old friend as the night enveloped you. “Cause I really don’t think I could handle it.” 

Loki locked the door and pocketed his keys. “Depends,” he said, suddenly smiling. “Can you keep up with me?” Then he was off, running down the street. 

You ran after him with a surprised laugh. You found you could keep pace with him fairly easily when you really tried. He turned off the street and sailed through the woods, occasionally checking back to ensure you were behind him, and you always were. 

Loki didn’t slow until the edge of the woods was in sight. He looked impeccable, hardly a hair out of place, whereas you felt like you were about to keel over (again). “Not fair,” you huffed. Still, you recovered quickly and Loki fixed your hair for you. “I think I’m glistening.” 

“You did excellent. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” He straightened your cardigan and cupped your chin with his hand, squeezing affectionately. 

You hummed and stood on your tiptoes to steal a kiss. “What next?” you asked. “Are we just going to pick someone up off the street?”

Loki rolled his eyes. “You think I got all dressed up to pick up some poor schmuck on the corner?”

“I think you got all dressed up because you like looking pretty,” you answered with a grin. 

He gently patted your cheek, adding just enough pressure to turn your face away. “You’re half right.” Loki fixed his hair, straightened his shirt, and primped unnecessarily. “Seduction is part of the hunt. Blood is better when given voluntarily, don’t forget that, my love.” He turned and strode confidently out of the tree line. 

You followed more sheepishly, surprised to find the city skyline within your view. The park you were in was somehow bustling, despite the late hour. Joggers and people walking their dogs passed you on the path with little notice, some even waving hello. “Wow,” you marveled. “People.” You inhaled deeply and felt a pang of hunger in your stomach. “People,” you repeated, a touch a misery in your voice. 

Loki took your hand, intertwining your fingers. “This way, darling,” he cooed, coaxing you on the path that led to the entrance of the park. From the park, he took you to what you assumed was downtown. Bars and restaurants lined the street, neon open signs blinding you temporarily.

“Bright,” you croaked.

As if he could feel your rising sense of overwhelmedness, and he probably could, Loki pulled you close, his hands settled on your shoulders. “It’s alright,” he assured you. “You’re doing very well. Take a deep breath. Watch me.” He inhaled, waiting for you to copy him. When you did, he exhaled slowly, and you followed along. “Good. We’re going somewhere lowkey tonight. I need you to relax, okay?”

You nodded quickly. “Okay,” you said. “I think I can do that.” 

Loki smiled and you felt the tension leave your shoulders as he squeezed them. “Good. Take my hand. I’ll be near you the whole night. If you need me, you only need think of me and I’ll be there,” he told you. “Understand?”

Again, you nodded.

Loki patted your shoulder and kissed your forehead. “Alright. Here we go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm visiting my boyfriend in Louisiana for spring break, and I'm more convinced now that this takes place in Texas. So, in case you were wondering, they're in Texas. I still refuse to be specific. Thank you for reading, both my fic and my ridiculous author's notes. I love you.


	9. IX. Growth pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Possessive smut

The bar smelled overwhelmingly human. Loki insisted you go in first and pick a table in the back to sit at so you could observe him. As you walked in, your eyes darted all around as you matched faces to smells and heartbeats. You were shaking by the time you slipped into a chair at an empty table. You had a great view of the bar and a bucket of peanuts that you began to break open just to hear the crack and try not to focus on how hungry you were.

Loki entered a few minutes later and languidly took a seat at the bar. He ordered a whisky neat and sipped it. You could practically feel the burn as you watched him, and your mouth suddenly felt very dry. You watched as he casually chatted up the woman seated next to him. A small flame of jealousy made your cheeks burn. Loki’s eyes flicked over to you, his eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

Feeling silly, you sunk into your seat and looked away, your arms crossed over your chest. You were glaring at the floor when a pair of nice tan boots moved into your line of sight. You followed the boots up to blue jeans and then up to a plaid button up, and up just a little further to cherry red lips parted in a smile and kind blue eyes. “Hi,” said the handsome, blond, and very human man. “I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am, but I noticed you hadn’t ordered a drink yet, and I was wondering if maybe I could take care of that for you?” 

You sat up and stared at the man. “Wha— Um. Sure,” you said, startled. Through the bond, you could feel Loki’s displeasure with the situation at hand, but you mentally waved him off. If you looked close enough, you could see the man’s pulse thunder in his neck. You dragged your eyes from his neck and focused on his face. “You have to tell me your name first,” you cooed, your vampiric instincts kicking in.

The man smiled bashfully. “That’s fair.” He stuck out his hand for you to shake. “Steve. Steve Rogers,” he said. 

You shook his hand and grinned up at him. “Steve,” you repeated. “Get me a bloody mary, will you, Steve?”

“Sure thing.” He turned and walked to the bar, and you couldn’t help but whistle softly in appreciation. Steve Rogers possessed quite an ass.

Loki’s annoyance was pervasive. You glanced up to see him glaring at you. You shrugged helplessly. Wasn’t the point to get someone interested? It wasn’t your fault that Steve took a shine to you.

In your head, you could hear Loki’s cool voice tell you that you weren’t supposed to take a shine back. You rolled your eyes and sat back, smiling up at Steve as he delivered your drink to you. “Bloody Mary, just for you,” he announced. At your invitation, he took the seat opposite you. “You didn’t tell me your name yet, by the way.”

You smiled slyly. “I know,” you said. You stirred your drink and sipped it. The alcohol eased your hunger just a teeny bit, but it didn’t help that you could smell Steve from across the table, his heartbeat like a drum in the back of your head. “It’s (Y/N).”

He held up his drink to you in toast. “Nice to meet you, (Y/N),” he said, and he sounded sincere.

You clinked your glass against his. “Likewise, Steve Rogers,” you hummed, letting his name roll off your tongue. Delight filled you as you watched a soft blush dust his cheeks. 

“Just Steve is fine,” he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“What do you do for a living, Just Steve?” you asked, leaning forward slightly. Teasing him was so fun, it made it easy to ignore Loki’s mental kicks to your shin. 

His blue eyes lit up with excitement. “I’m an illustrator. My best friend Bucky writes the stories, and I draw the pictures,” he explained. 

You rested your cheek on your palm and cocked your head to the side, a playful smile on your lips. “Children’s books?”

“All kinds of things, actually,” he answered. “But yes, some children’s books.” 

“I’d love to see some of your work,” you purred. You were a little surprised to find you meant that genuinely. 

“Maybe I could show you some one day.”

You grinned. “So you’d like to see me again, Steve? I’m honored.” You placed your hand over your dead heart. 

He didn’t respond, just smiled and sipped his drink. “What do you do?” asked Steve, switching the conversation to you.

You pondered his question. “Nothing, at the moment, though I used to be a librarian.”

“Used to be?” He leaned forward, matching your body language in a way you couldn’t help but find adorable. “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

You waved away his interest. “I was in a car accident,” you answered honestly. “It really turned my life around.” That was one way to put it.

Steve reached out, his fingertips barely brushing against yours. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

“Don’t be. It changed it for the better, I think.” Your eyes flicked over to Loki, who was openly looking at Steve with animosity. Under your gaze, he softened slightly, meeting your eyes for a brief moment, and turned back to the woman he had been talking to earlier. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said genuinely. “I get it. My pal Bucky lost an arm when we were in Afghanistan, so I’m no stranger to life changing accidents.” 

You gasped softly. “Oh Steve, I’m so—“

“It’s alright. He’s doing real well,” he assured you. “Plus he’s got this bionic arm now. He has fun.”

You giggled. “Sounds cool,” you gushed, internally hoping you weren’t laying it down too thick.

“Yeah,” Steve agreed with a grin. He sat back in his seat, shifted uncomfortably, and leaned forward again. His heart was beating wildly. Steve cleared his throat. “Listen, I hope this isn’t too forward, but I’d really like it if we could exchange numbers.” 

You grinned. “I’d really like that, too.” You made a show of patting your pocket and groaning. “Oh damn, I forgot my phone at home. Could you write your number down for me?”

Eager to comply, Steve borrowed a pen from the bartender and scribbled his number onto a napkin, even putting a little smiley next to his name. Aw, so cute. Loki was really pissed now, and he urged you to go outside. “Thanks for the drink, Steve, but I gotta dash.”

“But—“

“Don’t worry,” you cooed. “I’ll call you as soon as I get home.” 

Reassured, Steve settled into his seat. “Alright. Get home safe,” he said with a hint of sadness.

You waved to him as you headed for the exit. On the way past the bar, you purposely bumped into Loki, looking up at him with big doe eyes. “Oh jeez, I’m so sorry.”

Loki, cool as could be on the outside, smiled serenely at you. “Don’t worry about it,” he said kindly, though his eyes said you should be very worried indeed. 

In your head, you gave him a playful middle finger. Outwardly, you smiled back at him and meekly made your way through the exit.

You waited in the alley next to the bar for what felt like forever, hitting your head lightly against the brick wall you were leaning on. Excitement bubbled up in you as you saw Loki guide the woman from the bar towards you, a look of sleepy delight on her face. “How’d you do it?” you asked your sire. 

“A bit of compulsion.” He eyed you warily. “You would know if you’d been watching like I told you.”

You sighed. “Can we not get into this right now? I’m hungry,” you whined.

“Very well, but expect a lengthy conversation later.” Loki pushed the woman towards you.

Another wave of giddiness ran through you. “What’s your name?” you asked the lady.

“Candy,” she told you with a sleepy smile.

You mouthed ‘Oh my God’ to Loki, before you turned back to Candy. “Do you know what’s happening, Candy?” you asked.

“Oh sure,” she sighed.

“Can I drink your blood, Candy?” 

She nodded eagerly and tilted her head to the side, offering you her neck. Jeez, you hoped you weren’t that desperate every time Loki drank from you. Judging from his snickering behind Candy’s back, you had been. 

You carefully took her by the shoulders and leaned in. Her perfume tickled your nose. Her squirrelly little pulse raced with anticipation. You could practically smell her blood just beneath the surface. You took a deep breath, extended your fangs, and bit into her skin.

You weren’t prepared for the sudden surge of warmth into your mouth. You swallowed as much as you could, but still some dribbled out, coating your chin in red. Pleasure twisted in your stomach, spreading to the rest of your body. You weren’t sure you could ever go back to bagged blood, not after this. Not after her.

“That’s enough,” Loki said in your ear. You pulled back, dazed and slightly confused. Candy was limp against you, her little squirrel heart thudding even faster to keep up with the blood loss. Loki pulled her away and fit his mouth over the bite you left. You watched as your sire drained her further to unconsciousness, but you could still hear her heart, albeit fainter now. She’d make it. 

When Loki rested her against the wall just inside the alley, you could see no trace of the bitemark, not even a bruise. You hardly had time to be amazed. Candy’s adrenaline was surging through you, pumping you full of energy. “This is amazing,” you said, though it slurred into one word and probably sounded more like ‘thisisamazing’. 

Loki smiled at you. “Baby’s first bite,” he said proudly. “I bet you feel good enough to conquer the world, don’t you, darling?”

You nodded, looking around. If your senses were sharp before, they were even better now that you’d had a proper meal. Colors were vibrant and warm, curling around you like a cloud. Every sound was music, and the air was sharp and cool and unbearably human. You latched onto Loki, burying your face in his hair. “Thank you,” you murmured within his dark tresses. The bond between you felt even stronger, tugging against your chest as you pulled back. “Let’s go home. I want to call Steve.”

You raced away before you could see Loki’s face change, but you knew he wasn’t happy. 

He got home before you did, and he stood sternly on the porch, his stance wide and his arms crossed over his chest. “You’re not going to call Steve,” he told you.

You trudged up the stairs and moved through the door before he could stop you. “Why not?” you asked. 

Loki followed you inside. “He’s too interested in you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Isn’t that the point?” you asked dryly. “You said willingly given blood tasted better.” You knew there was a phone in Loki’s study; you’d heard it ring once. You went in and shut the door. You could feel Loki’s presence on the other side, fuming silently, but he didn’t come in. You wrestled the napkin with Steve’s number from your pocket and took a seat in Loki’s desk chair, dialing the number on the old fashioned rotary phone. “Stupid old man,” you murmured as you brought the phone to your ear. 

Steve answered within two rings. “Hello?”

“Hi, Steve,” you said brightly. “This is (Y/N) from the bar.”

“Hey! Did you get home okay?”

“Oh sure,” you answered. Your eyes flickered to the door. “Though my roommate kinda gave me a hard time.” 

“For forgetting your phone?” Steve’s voice crackled through the speaker on the phone. 

“Mm-hmm,” you agreed. Loki finally entered the room, scooting one of the chairs loudly from the reading nook to the opposite side of the desk from you. You cringed at the sound.

“What’s that?” Steve asked.

“That’s him, unfortunately,” you said dryly.

Loki smiled as he sat down, propping his feet up on the table. He gave you a thumbs up. 

“Oh, cool.”

Loki mouthed something to you. “Steve, could you hold on just a second?” you said into the phone. You didn’t wait for an answer, covering the receiver with your palm. “What do you want?” you hissed at your sire. 

“He seems like a great guy,” he mused. “Stupid, but nice.”

“Would you stop? You’re being a big baby.” 

Loki’s mouth pressed into a thin line, but he stopped, as you requested.

You sighed and put the phone back to your ear. “Sorry about that. Can I call you back later?” you asked.

Steve sounded disappointed. “Yeah, alright. Everything okay?”

“Yep,” you said cheerily. “Talk to you later.” You hung up, not waiting for a goodbye in return. “There. Happy?”

Loki shrugged. “I think it’s time for your roommate,” he sneered the word, “to go to bed. You too.”

You hit your palm against the desk. “He’s a human, Loki,” you exclaimed. “What, am I supposed to tell him we’re vampires right away?” You stood and stalked out of the study, Loki following close behind you. 

“No, but you’re letting him think you’re interested,” he said, a tinge of hurt in his voice. 

You whirled around, making him stop short, and pressed your finger against his chest. “I thought you were interested.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it?” you questioned, glaring up at him. “Why, because you really were? Or because you weren’t?” You turned back around and entered the bedroom, angrily shucking off your clothing. 

“Are you interested?” Loki persisted.

“No!” You paused in lifting off your shirt. “Maybe.” You shrugged the garment off and ran your hand through your hair. “I don’t know! He was nice, and he smelled good. There’s no reason I can’t do to him what you did to me.”

“You want to Turn him?” he exclaimed, revulsion pulsing through the bond.

“No!” you roared. “Would you listen for once? Stop being jealous! You don’t have that right!”

Loki stared hard at you. “I don’t have that right? I’m your boyfriend, aren’t I?”

You had to laugh. “Are you?” you croaked. “Because I really don’t know. You’ve certainly never told me.” 

He was silent at that. “You told me you loved me,” he finally said, looking at you with something akin to betrayal in his eyes.

Through the bond, you could feel an ache so enormous it nearly made you double over in pain. You joined him near his place by the doorway. You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head against his chest. He was stiff, but gradually he relaxed, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. “Because I do. I do love you,” you said softly, holding him a little bit tighter. “You made me, Loki. You signed up for eternity, and so did I.” You looked up at him. “But I’m hungry,” you sighed. “And you are too. So why not take a chance with Steve?”

Loki’s face was stony. “Steve,” he murmured. “Stupid name.” You laughed, and his expression mellowed. He looked down at you and smoothed your hair back. “You’re growing faster than I thought you would.”

“I told you I’m a quick learner,” you replied. 

He nodded. “You did. I should have listened.” Loki embraced you tightly and kissed the top of your head. “Alright. But I have a rule.”

“I’m not going to fall in love with him,” you sighed, knowing exactly what the rule would be.

“Don’t be so flippant with it, darling. Keeping a familiar is an important bond. A lot of chemicals are produced during the feeding. You ought to know that better than anyone.” He tilted your chin up so he could look into your eyes. “He’ll fall in love with you, even if you don’t love him back.”

You smiled. “Maybe he’ll fall in love with you too,” you joked. “Then we could have a threesome.” 

Loki made a noise of disgust and pushed your face away, though you could tell he was amused. “Go to your coffin,” he ordered. “Just because you’re hopped up on fresh blood doesn’t mean you’re immune to sleep.” 

“Mm, but I feel sooo good,” you purred. You flexed your hands as you pushed them up his chest and tangled them in his hair. You tugged him down, your mouth close to his. Your eyes met his. You could see the fire in his eyes, and more importantly, you could feel it, his heat fanning your own flames. “You feel it too, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” he murmured. “I wanted so badly to pin you up against that alley wall and ravage you, but you left too quickly.” 

You inhaled sharply, your eyes flicking down to his lips before going back to his eyes. “I think we have time for a quickie,” you said. You released one of your hands from his hair and trailed it down his chest, cupping his cock through his pants. You smirked when you felt him hard beneath your touch. “We could do it against the wall, like you wanted.”

Loki growled and picked you up, pushing you against the wall. He supported you easily, slotting himself between your legs. “I’ll show you why you belong to me in the first place,” said Loki against the shell of your ear. He easily unhooked the clasp of your bra and took your breast in his hand as he pressed open mouthed kisses up your neck. His erection pressed against you insistently. You used the hand not tangled in his hair to unzip his pants, pushing them down as much as you could. He helped, pushing them down to his thighs, and you quickly unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. He set you down just long enough for you to tug your pants off, and then you were pinned to the wall again, Loki’s cock sliding between your slick folds. “Do you want me?” he hissed, lining himself up with your opening.

“Yes,” you whimpered. “Please Loki, I need you.” You tried to rock your hips, but he stilled them. Loki crashed his lips into yours, his fangs cutting into your bottom lip, but you didn’t care, too caught up in the euphoria of him. 

“That’s it,” he moaned. When he pushed into you, you arched into him, angling him just right.

His name dripped from your lips like heavy rain. Each thrust scraped your back against the wall, but it only added to your pleasure. He gripped your hips with bone breaking force, but you took it, even thanked him for it. Loki hardly moved his face away from the crook of your shoulder. You clutched at him, nails digging into his back hard enough to break the skin. 

The sex was grueling, but it was mind blowing. The dregs of blood euphoria mingled with the sex euphoria, and you swore you could see stars dancing before your eyes. 

Your climax approached, promising an even better burst of chemicals, and you raced towards it. Your breath came out in harsh pants, your hips attempting to meet Loki’s with each thrust.

“Who is your master?” Loki growled into your ear. 

“You are,” you croaked. Your grip on him tightened as his hips snapped harder. 

“Good girl.” His hand slipped between your legs, his fingertips brushing lightly over your clit.

That was all it took. A praise and some light touching, and you were a goner. Your orgasm hit with dizzying intensity, your vision whiting out. It was further intensified by Loki reaching his own climax, decorating your insides with his cum. 

As you shakily came down from your high, Loki carried you to the bed. He eased himself out of you and deposited you under the covers, quickly curling up behind you. He held you fiercely, as if he were afraid you’d move away. You stroked his arm and pressed back against him, turning your head just enough to kiss him. “I love you,” you said when you found the strength to talk. Death-sleep seemed very appealing suddenly, weariness emanating from your very bones. 

“The sun is rising,” he whispered softly.

“Do I need to go to my coffin?” 

He thought for a moment. “No,” decided Loki. “You should be alright in bed for this morning.”

“Good,” you hummed. You turned to face him, wrapping your arms tightly around his waist. “Because I wasn’t planning on leaving.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are your thoughts on Steve as a potential blood source? I'm curious to know what you think. Should I add a Steve/Reader tag? Let me know xoxo


	10. X. Growth pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The introduction.

You woke up groaning as hunger clenched your stomach. You doubled over, having a lot more room than you were used to. You cracked open your eyes to see Loki’s concerned face. “Good evening,” he said softly, pushing your hair back from your face.

“Hi,” you croaked back. “‘M hungry.”

“Yeah. I know.” He held his arms open and you automatically snuggled up to him, your head nestling against his shoulder. “The night after your first bite is the second hardest part of Turning.”

You groaned. “I’m sick of there being hard parts of Turning,” you mumbled. You played with the ends of Loki’s hair. “I only want the good parts.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead and chuckled. “Then there’d be no consequences to vampirism and everyone would be vampires,” he mused.

“Nuh-uh, we’d have to keep some humans so we could eat. Haven’t you ever seen Daybreakers?” 

“No, thankfully—“

“No!” you protested. “It has Ethan Hawke as a vampire. That alone makes it a good movie. They have yellow eyes and little fangies—“

“If we had yellow eyes and our fangs were always extended, we’d be too obvious,” he said flatly. 

You pouted. “You’re no fun,” you mumbled. 

“Maybe not,” he conceded. Loki tilted your chin up and kissed you so lovingly that warmth zipped down your spine, gathering at the base. It was easy to forget the hunger when he kissed you like that. You tilted your head to deepen the kiss. His leg pushed between your thighs and he pulled you closer, your chest pressing against his. 

“I take it back,” you breathed when you finally parted from the kiss. “You’re very fun.” 

His hand ran down your side, pausing over your bruised hips. “Are you in pain?” he asked softly.

You shook your head. “No pain. Just hungry,” you hummed and kissed him again. “Maybe I should call Steve.”

Loki soured instantly, recoiling from your embrace as if you’d stung him. “Steve,” he repeated, distaste dripping from his lips. 

You rolled your eyes. Pushing down the annoyance you felt, goaded by Loki’s equal annoyance, was hard, but you did it. “Loki,” you cooed. “Give him a chance.” You turned your sire’s face towards you and rubbed his cheek with your thumb. “I’m starving.”

“You’re not starving,” he grumbled. “I can keep you fed well enough without Steve’s help, thank you very much.” 

With a sigh, you pushed yourself up, swinging your legs over the side of the bed. The sheets slipped off easily, sliding softly against your bare skin. You padded over to the closet and stole a t-shirt from Loki’s side, mildly surprised he even had one. “You have casual wear?” you asked.

“I do.”

You spooked, nearly hitting the closet door as you turned to find Loki right behind you. “I get it now,” you grumbled. “I won’t scare you anymore.”

Loki laughed, and a warm thread of affection curled in your brain, lighting up your nervous system pleasantly.

“You’re so cute,” you squealed as you launched yourself at him, peppering kisses all over his face.

“Now now, don’t try to butter me up,” Loki said through laughter. He carefully extracted you from him and reached around you, grabbing a pair of pants. He tossed them over his shoulder and kissed you gently, quickly. “Call Steve if you must,” he sighed. “We need to go into town again anyway.”

You perked up. “We do?”

He nodded solemnly. “Oh yes. Now get dressed, chop chop. Call the little artist.”

“You were listening,” you said, beaming up at him. “Nosey brat.” You booped his nose and fled from his immediate vicinity before he could capture you in retaliation. 

You dressed in record time, your outfit consisting of black jeans, a colorful knit sweater, and black cowboy boots. You flitted down the stairs to Loki’s office and picked up the phone, dialing Steve’s number.

He picked up after two rings.

“(Y/N)?” he asked, sounding rather sleepy.

You looked up at the clock and saw it was hardly 8 o’clock. “Hi Steve, did I wake you?” you asked, amusement lightening your voice.

“Hm?” You could hear rustling. “No, no. I’m just a little tired. Had a long day.”

“Oh. Does that mean you don’t wanna hang out tonight?”

“No,” he said hastily. “It doesn’t mean that. I’d love to, uh…” Again, you could hear more rustling, as if he were scrambling for something. “When did you wanna meet?”

“Whenever’s good for you,” you chirped. You glanced up as Loki entered the office. He joined you behind his desk, ignoring you as he rifled through his drawers for something.

“How about 8:30?” Steve asked, drawing your attention back to the phone.

“Sure. The bar from last night?” 

“Perfect.”

“‘Kay,” you said brightly. “See you then.” You hung up and swiveled Loki’s chair to look at him. “Whatcha looking for?”

“It pertains to what I need to go into town for,” he said, stealing a glance at you. “How’s Steve?”

“Tired,” you said. “I hope he’s not too beat.”

Loki sneered and looked back at the drawers he was rifling through. “I’m sure you don’t,” he deadpanned, triumphantly pulling out a folder, which he then tucked into the jacket he wore. “Here we are. Let’s go.”

“Race you there?” you asked, standing from the desk chair with a stretch. 

Loki barked out a laugh. “That wouldn’t be fair to you, would it, darling?” he mused. “You don’t stand a chance.”

You shook out your arms and popped your neck with a loud crack. You grinned up at him and floated up so you were level with him. Drifting closer, you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him. “Scared I’ll win?” you cooed back.

He scoffed. “As if.”

“Well?” you prompted.

Blue eyes looked towards the ceiling, as if pleading for guidance and then turned back to you. “Fine.”

“Yay!” You stumbled as you landed on your feet and raced for the front door, flinging it open. It would have hit the wall and bounced back if Loki hadn’t carefully stopped it, preventing it from slamming into your face. 

“Please don’t put any holes in my walls,” Loki groaned.

“No promises,” you said pleasantly, bouncing from foot to foot. Your hunger had shifted into something predatory, and you were aching to run. “C’mon c’mon c’mon c—“

“Alright,” Loki interrupted. “Are you ready?”

“Yes! Wait—“ You flew up the stairs and came back with a light jacket. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

Through the bond you could feel a simmer of annoyance mixed with a wave of amusement. You grinned at Loki and he smiled back. “Ready…”

“On your mark…” 

“Get set…”

“Go!” you and Loki cried together, taking off towards the woods. 

You crowed into the wind as you ran, wind whipping your hair back like a waving banner. You weaved around trees and jumped over logs, crushing underbrush with heavy footfalls. Loki was lighter on his feet than you, each jump a graceful leap, his steps hardly disturbing the grass you ran over. He was like a dancer, all long limbs and effortless motion. 

Loki glanced over to you with a smile. “Don’t get distracted, little one. You’re making this too easy,” he taunted, gaining a sizable lead.

You fought to catch up, pushing yourself harder. Your limbs grumbled angrily, still not used to your vampire biology and abilities, but you ignored them, too caught up in the thrill of the chase. 

Loki stopped just short of the tree line and let you burst through into the park from the previous evening. It was nearly empty and no one was around to hear your cry of joy. 

“You won,” Loki mused, appearing at your side.

“Only cause you let me,” you gushed. Exhilaration pumped through your veins and you threw yourself at him in your usual reckless manner. “That was so fun,” you mumbled into his hair. 

“I’m glad you had a good time.” Loki pressed a kiss to your forehead and separated himself from you. “Must be going,” he sighed as he checked his watch. “Don’t want to be late for your date.” 

You tried not to pout. “It’s not a date,” you insisted.

Loki gave you a grave look. “Maybe not to you, but to him it most certainly is.” 

You opened your mouth to retort, and shut it again. “Okay,” you said softly. “Will I see you again before sunrise?”

“Of course,” he confirmed. “I’ll meet you right here at 3 am, if not before.”

You nodded. “Walk me to the bar?”

Loki smiled wryly and offered you his arm. “If you insist.”

The two of you had just exited the park when an unfamiliar scent hit your nose. It was musty and left a sour taste in your mouth. Beside you, Loki bristled. “What is that?” you asked, face wrinkled with distaste as you fought the urge to pinch your nose shut.

“Oh God, not now,” Loki muttered.

You stared up at him. “What?”

“Loki!” You turned to see who called your sire’s name, surprise bubbling up in your chest as you watched a beast of a man bounding towards you. He had blond hair that bounced lightly against his broad shoulders, and blue eyes that reflected the streetlamps curiously. The closer he got, the more you sank against Loki, your own hackles rising. You would’ve found the man handsome if it weren’t for the horrendous smell rising from him.

Loki pushed you behind his back. “Thor,” he greeted the man coolly. 

“It’s so good to see you!” Thor exclaimed, pulling Loki into a tight bear hug. You hissed softly under your breath and glared at the man who had the guts to touch your sire. “It’s been what, twenty years?” As he talked, you could hear a crisp accent that mirrored Loki’s. “My goodness!” Thor’s eyes turned to you, and they were extraordinarily kind. You relaxed minutely. “Who is this?” Thor asked with breathless delight. 

“I’m (Y/N),” you piped up from behind Loki. “Loki sired me.”

Thor’s eyes widened with shock. “Did he?” He looked at Loki as if seeing him for the first time. “Did you tell Father?” he asked, addressing Loki again.

“It’s none of his business,” Loki seethed. His back was ramrod straight, his shoulders tenser than you’d ever seen. “And he’s not my father.” 

Thor softened. “Then am I not your brother?” he asked quietly.

Loki became eerily silent for a moment. Even his brain was still. It made you antsy. “Loki?” you asked. “Who is this?” 

Loki inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. He pulled you from behind his back so proper introductions could be made. “(Y/N), this is Thor,” he said flatly. “Thor Odinson.”

Thor grinned and stuck out his hand for you to shake, which you did, hesitantly. 

“He’s a part of the city clan I mentioned to you a while back,” Loki continued.

“Speaking of…” Thor trailed off as he glanced behind him.

“Oh Christ,” muttered Loki, his eyes glancing skyward. “Why must they always move in a pack?”

“Huh?” You peeked around Thor and saw a group of people shambling towards you.

“Loki!” boomed the powerful voice of a large redheaded man with an impressive beard. “It’s been a while.” He emitted the same bad smell as Thor, but you were starting to get used to it.

“Hello Volstagg,” Loki said, his voice sounding weaker than before.

You got a good look at the group once they finally stopped behind Thor. On Thor’s left hand was the man Loki had identified as Volstagg, and behind him was a trim asian man and another blond man who you found quite dashing. On Thor’s right hand was a smaller man who smelled extraordinarily human. He took Thor’s hand and smiled at you. Next to him was a woman with her hair back in a french braid and striking white eye makeup that offset her lovely brown skin. Beside her was a woman with blonde hair, and another woman with darker hair who, when she smiled at you, revealed fangs similar to your own. 

“Who-Who are all of you?” you asked shakily, completely overwhelmed. 

Thor grinned. “I shall do introductions,” he announced. He pointed to each person as he said their name, starting from left to right. “Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg.” He paused to point to himself. “Thor.” He pointed to the man that held his hand. “Bruce, Valkyrie, Carol, and Sif.” 

“Lady Sif,” Sif corrected, winking at you. “Don’t forget my title.” 

“Right,” Thor said with a smile. “Sorry about that. Lady Sif.”

Your head spun as you attempted to put names to faces. “And you’re all… a part of the city clan?”

Carol, the blonde woman beside Valkyrie, shrugged her shoulders. “More or less,” she said brightly.

You glanced up at Loki for assistance. He sighed through his nose. “Bruce and Carol are humans,” he said to you quietly. “They’re not allowed to be part of a clan.”

“What are the others?” you asked. “Thor, I’ve never smelled anything like you,” you told him sheepishly. 

Thor opened his mouth to reply, but Loki cut him off. “They’re werewolves,” he sighed. “Some of them, anyway.”

“The other ones are vampires?” you guessed, eyes darting around the group. 

“Bingo,” the blond man, Fandral, said.

To your relief, Lady Sif, Fandral, and Hogun announced themselves as fellow vamps, leaving Thor, Volstagg, and Valkyrie as the werewolves. You exhaled slowly. There were just so many of them.

“Well, (Y/N) and I better be going,” Loki said. “We’ve got business to attend to.” Without saying goodbye, Loki turned you and ushered you away, but you managed to wave to the clan before you were gone. 

“That was incredible,” you marveled. “There were so many of them!”

“Unfortunately.”

“How do you know them?” you asked, glancing up at him.

Loki’s jaw clenched, and you could tell he really did not want to talk about it. “I’ll tell you later,” he said.

“Hm. You better.”

Loki stopped in front of the bar. Through the glass door, you could see Steve waiting by the bar. When he caught sight of you, he waved. You turned to say goodbye to Loki, but he was gone. You sighed and walked into the bar. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watch so many vampire movies lmao, do you have a favorite vampire movie? Let me know


	11. XI. Growth pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drink.

Steve greeted you with an anxious smile, his hands shoved in his pockets. “Hi,” he said meekly as you met him at the bar.

His heartbeat thundered in your head, causing you to salivate. You swallowed hard and smiled back, hoping your fangs weren’t too obvious. “Hi,” you said back. “Wait long?”

“No, uh, I just got here,” he said, and cleared his throat. “Do you want a drink?” 

Your eyes were drawn to his pulse, the artery in his neck visible beneath his skin. “I’d love one.” You lifted your gaze to his face and smiled. “Whiskey neat, please.”

Steve ordered one for you and one for himself. He sipped from his glass slowly, savoring it. You, however, did not. “What do you say we go for a walk?” you asked after you’d tossed back your drink in one neat swallow.

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? We just got here…” 

You took his hand and you could see his resolve weaken. “I could use some fresh air,” you told him, your voice a persuasive purr. 

He knocked back the rest of his drink and cringed lightly, sliding cash across to the bartender. Steve allowed you to guide him from the bar despite his obvious hesitance. You let go of his hand once you were outside, and his lips tilted into a soft frown. 

“Thanks,” you chirped. “It felt really stuffy in there.” You walked backwards so you could face him, scanning him with your eyes. He was dressed in well fitting jeans and t-shirt that stretched across his chest, not leaving a lot to the imagination. You slowed down enough that you were nearly touching him and looked up to see his blue eyes fixed on you, a light blush dusting his cheeks. 

“Better now?” he asked.

“Much.” You stepped away again and turned, heading with purpose down the sidewalk. You ignored Steve’s call of your name. You turned the corner and stopped, waiting again for him to catch up. He rounded the corner soon after, his breath coming out in soft pants. 

“What was that?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Sorry,” you said breezily, “I wanted to see if you could keep up with me.”

His head tilted to the side and he scratched the back of his head, his hands going to his hips as he considered you. Steve hesitated before speaking again. “Can I?”

“I think you can, Steve,” you purred. His heartbeat thumped insistently in your ears. You grabbed his shirt and tugged him close, until your back was pressed against the wall and his hips were nearly touching yours. He had to bend down so his shirt wouldn’t be stretched out too far. His smell up close was intoxicating, and you were getting a pleasant buzz that had nothing to do with alcohol. “Wanna find out for sure?”

Steve blushed brightly and began to babble. “I— I’m not—” He let out an embarrassed laugh and shied away from you. “I’m not really that kind of guy, (Y/N).”

Your vampire instincts stalled out, and for a moment all you could do was blink at him. “What?” you asked softly.

“Listen, I really like you, but I’m—” Steve took a deep breath. “I don’t know, call me old fashioned, but I’d like to get to know you better before we—” Somehow, his cheeks turned redder. “Do anything,” he finished lamely. 

“Oh,” was all you could think to say. “I— Okay.” Steve had really thrown you for a loop. “I’m sorry—”

Steve cut you off. “Hey, no no, it’s alright!” He laughed awkwardly. “It was actually really hot, I just, y’know.”

An unintentional pulse of affection surged through you, and you couldn’t help but smile. “You’re shy?” 

He rubbed his face and looked away, a flustered grin on his face. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” you said honestly, your brain switching gears. “That makes this a lot easier, actually.”

“It does?” Steve looked at you with something akin to surprise.

You nodded. “Oh sure.” You stood up straight and stretched, not missing the way Steve looked you over and then hastily looked away. “We can take this slow, but Steve—”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Steve flushed again and let out a little laugh. “If you want to, I wouldn’t mind,” he said, looking down at you.

You stood on your tiptoes and stretched up, kissing him gently on the lips. You kept your hands to yourself. Kissing Steve was very different from kissing Loki. Steve’s lips were new to you, and the novelty sent a thrill down your spine. However, with novelty came inexperience. Steve’s nose bumped against yours and you pulled away with a light laugh. “Thanks,” you said.

“I should be thanking you,” said Steve in return, his voice breathy.

You grinned. “Wanna kiss again?”

Steve nodded eagerly. “Yes please,” he breathed.

You kissed him again, and he was much more compliant, his hands resting on your forearms as he tugged you closer. It was difficult not to smile against his mouth. 

After a few minutes, you pulled away again, your smile wide enough to split your lip. Your stomach tightened as you inhaled, his scent growing more delicious with each minute in his presence, reminding you of your hunger. “Can I walk you home?” you asked.

Steve seemed to debate the offer for a moment before he finally nodded. “Alright,” he said. “I’m not one to turn down company, especially not yours.”

You threaded your arm through his. “Lead the way, handsome,” you cooed, pleased as punch to see his cheeks redden once again. “You’re awfully cute when you blush.”

“Stop,” he pleaded. “If my cheeks get any redder, I’ll look like a tomato.”

Better for you, honestly. His blood was calling you, but you couldn’t take him yet. You held his arm a little tighter and kept your mouth shut so he wouldn’t see your fangs. 

Steve stopped in front of an apartment complex and looked at you, his indecision obvious on his face. 

To help him along, you put a bit of persuasion in your voice, your instincts kicking in again. “Can I come up and see some of that art you were talking about?” you asked, staring into his eyes.

You watched his pupils dilate. He got a sort of dreamy look on his face. “Sure,” he said, and he sounded sleepy. He turned and led the way to the door of his apartment. “Bucky should be asleep by now.”

“Perfect,” you sighed. No interruptions.

Steve crossed the threshold, but you remained rooted in the hall, physically unable to go in. You groaned. Of all the pieces of lore to be true…

“You okay?” Steve asked, his voice returning to its usual cadence.

“I, um. Yeah. Invite me in.”

Steve blinked several times, but didn’t seem to catch on, bless his heart. “Please, come in,” he said stiffly. 

An invisible barrier lifted and you sighed as you stepped inside, shutting the door behind you. “Thank you.”

Steve nodded and turned, gesturing for you to follow him to his room. You were starting to get antsy, so you were close behind, startling him as he turned to show you something. In his hand was a watercolor painting of a rabbit. It was actually quite good. “Wow,” you said. “This is actually quite good.”

Steve smiled. “Thanks.”

“Please get on the bed.”

Steve startled again. “What?” he asked.

You looked up at him, gently setting the rabbit picture on the desk, and grabbed him by the shirt again. “I’m hungry, Steve, and you smell incredible, and if I don’t eat right now, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,” you explained.

“I could make you something to eat?” Steve offered, his voice shaky with confusion.

You tsked. “No, Steve,” you cooed. Again you could see the effect your voice had on him. “You’re the meal.” You pushed him and he landed on his back, on the bed. You climbed on top of him.

He started to shake beneath you, fear boosting his adrenaline. “(Y/N), I really—“ 

“Relax,” you cooed softly, brushing his hair back from his forehead. “You’ll be alright. I promise, I’ll take just enough.” Your fingertips slid down his cheek, and he did relax, though his eyes still illustrated his fear. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

Steve swallowed hard. “O-Okay.”

You bent down, your lips skating over the soft skin of his neck. The soft woosh of his blood beneath the surface had you salivating, and your fangs were fully extended in anticipation. “Take a deep breath,” you murmured. “You’re going to feel a slight pinch.” 

Then, you bit him, and the first rush of blood against your tongue was glorious. He tasted just as good as he smelled, with a hint of spice from the whiskey. You had to keep from moaning as your lips sealed around the wound and you drank from him. Steve shuddered once, but otherwise stayed very still, his chest working hard as his heart fought to keep up with you. The drum of his pulse in your ear was even louder now. 

As it started to slow, you pulled off, dizzy and bright. You licked the wound, instinctively knowing it would stop the bleeding, and sat up, contently licking your lips. You looked down at Steve who looked up at you through lidded eyes. 

“Do it again?” he croaked. His voice sounded wrecked. 

“Not tonight, handsome,” you said kindly, patting his cheek. “You’d keel over, and I’m not going to waste this kind of tap.” You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and rose off his bed, floating to the door. “See you later, kid.”

You flew out the door and out of the apartment, reaching heights you’d never been before. You crowed into the night sky and somersaulted to the ground, taking off to the park to meet Loki. Buildings passed you in a blur, and before you knew it, there he was. Your sire had his arms crossed over his chest, but nothing else about him read negatively. In fact, through the bond you felt a pulse of joy, and you knew he was happy to see you. As was customary, you threw yourself at him. Loki whisked you up into an embrace and kissed your forehead. “Good night?” he asked.

“Loki, it was amazing! I think I used some mind tricks, and I flew, not just floated, and he tasted soooo good, even though I think he was scared, and I kissed him, but only once, and it felt weird but—“

Loki’s hand covered your mouth. His eyes met yours and you deflated a bit. “I’m glad,” he said simply as he took his hand away.

You nodded quickly. “How was your night?” you asked, eyes darting around the park. Everything was so bright, it was hard to focus. Loki was talking, but you couldn’t hear. “What?”

He knocked on your forehead. “Anyone home?” he mused.

“I’m sorry, Loki, I really am, but I’m just so—“ 

“I know,” he said. “I’ll tell you tomorrow night, when you’ve calmed down.” 

You grinned, shifting quickly from foot to foot. “Race you home?” you asked. 

He seemed to consider you. “You’re so hopped up, you may actually beat me,” mused Loki. “Alright.”

You cheered. “You’re the best. Ready? Set.” You waited for him to get ready. “Go,” you crowed, and set off, running faster than you ever had before. You were moving so fast, even your vision couldn’t keep up, leaving you in a sort of tunnel that you could only see the end of. Granted, that made dodging trees more difficult, but you were moving fast enough that you made up for any lost time. You reached the porch and cried out with delight. You’d won!

Or at least, you thought you did.

Loki opened the front door from inside the house. “Howdy slowpoke.”

“Awwww,” you whined. You stomped into the house. “How’d you even do that?” You flopped on the stairs dramatically, your arm covering your eyes. “You’re impossibly fast.”

“You nearly beat me,” he assured you. He sat next to you on the stairs and gathered you into his arms. 

“You’re amazing,” you murmured in awe, cuddling up to your sire. “You’re like the fastest vampire ever. You’re like magic!”

Loki chuckled, the vibration in his chest reverberating through you. You grinned and pressed closer to him, depositing yourself in his lap. “No, darling, it’s you that’s magic,” he said.

You elbowed him, fighting a smile. “That’s cheesy.”

“Maybe so.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead. “But it’s true.” 

You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Electricity curled around your spine and sent tingles through your limbs. It felt so good to kiss him. It was like you were made to kiss Loki. You ran your hands through his long hair, stroking it and pushing it back from his face. You pulled back to look at him, affection thudding in your chest like a bird that _really_ wanted to get out. Tears filled your eyes.

Loki’s face turned concerned. “What’s wrong?” 

“I just.” You paused to hiccup, your tears falling freely. “I just love you so much!”

He softened and pulled you into another kiss, wiping away your tears with his thumbs. “Ohhh, my darling,” cooed Loki. He pressed a kiss to your forehead. “You’re so tired, aren’t you?”

You nodded. “Hunting’s hard work,” you murmured. 

“Let’s go to bed.” He wrapped his arms around you and stood, carrying you bridal style up the stairs. He nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and laid you gently on the bed. He helped you take your boots off and let you shimmy out of the rest of your clothes. Loki offered you a t-shirt to sleep in, and you took it, inhaling his smell before you slid it on. 

“I think tonight may be a coffin night,” he told you.

“Do I have to?” you asked, voice high and whining.

“I’m afraid so.” Loki pat your thigh sympathetically. “Your first real hunt means a lot of adjusting for your body.”

You groaned and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor with a light thump. You hardly felt it. You dragged your body over to the coffin and waited for Loki to open it for you before you climbed inside. He moved to close it, but you stopped him, looking up at him with big eyes. “Lay with me?”

Loki eyed the coffin warily. “I’m not sure there’s room for both of us,” he said. 

“Please?” Tears pricked at your eyes again. “Just for a little while?” you pleaded.

Unable to say no to you, Loki sighed and gestured for you to move. You scrambled out of the coffin. He laid down and you settled on top of him, sighing happily as you nuzzled him. “Thank you,” you purred. “You’re the best sire ever.”

Loki stroked your back in slow circles, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. “If I’m sacrificing my comfy bed tonight, I damn well better be.”

You giggled. “So you’ll sleep here with me?”

“If I must,” he sighed, and lowered the coffin lid.

In the dark, pressed against your sire, you felt completely at peace. You slid your hand down and grabbed his, intertwining your fingers together. “I love you,” you whispered.

“Go to sleep,” Loki whispered back. As an afterthought, he added, “I love you, too.” 

Full, content, and adoring, you eased into death-sleep, your head against your sire’s shoulder and your legs tangled up with his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got some really good feedback from you guys about Steve, so thank y'all for that!! I really appreciate knowing your thoughts on the story as it progresses. He will for sure be showing up again in the story, but I haven't decided when or how much. 
> 
> Thank you again for all of your comments. Stay healthy and safe! Love you!!


	12. XII. Experience pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Smut.

You woke and hit your head on the coffin lid as you attempted to separate yourself from Loki, who had generously spent the day with you. Unfortunately, that made getting out of the coffin quite difficult once it was opened, and you nearly kneed your sire in the crotch at least three times. You managed to stumble out, while Loki rose easily, looking perfectly vampiric. He even had his arms crossed over his chest and everything.

“There’s an art to it, dear,” he told you, a bemused smirk on his handsome face. 

“An art I have yet to master, I guess,” you grumbled. You did a big stretch and several joints popped, causing you to moan. You bent over and reached for your toes, popping a few more vertebrae in the process.

“Sounds like you’re adjusting well,” Loki said. 

“Feels like it too.” You jerked your head to the side, making a terrific cracking sound. “Oh baby,” you sighed. “That’s the good stuff.” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “Are you finished?”

“Not yet.” You cracked your knuckles on each hand and wiggled your fingers. “Okay,” you said cheerfully. “Now I am.” 

“Good. You should shower. You smell like human.” His nose wrinkled delicately. 

“What’s wrong with that?” you asked, sauntering over to him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him. “Making you hungry?”

He scoffed and pushed your face away. “Nauseous, more like,” he said sternly. 

You snickered. “Fine, fine.” You tweaked his nose. “Grumpy pants. Go eat something, why don’t you,” you suggested. “Have a blood bag on me.”

“Your jokes are not amusing,” said Loki flatly.

“Guess my stand up act’s dead.” You paused, eyes bright with mischief. 

“Don’t say it—“

“But so am I!” you shouted over him, laughing at your own joke. You laughed so hard, you gripped your sides and floated into the air. 

Loki groaned and dragged his palm down his face, his fingertips digging into the pale skin. “Please go shower,” he groaned. “I can’t stand another moment of this.”

“Take a seat, then,” you said simply.

Loki turned and walked out of the room, followed by your laughter. 

You shook your head merrily and entered the bathroom, per Loki’s request, starting up the shower. You waited until you saw steam and stripped off your clothing, standing beneath the hot water. For a while, you just stood, letting the pressure and heat carry your minor aches and growing pains down the drain. It seemed as if your body was very nearly done adjusting, getting used to being undead. Thank goodness. You weren’t sure how much longer you could tolerate the Turning. 

Head blissfully empty, you washed your hair and scrubbed your skin with a loofa sudsed with body wash. After it was washed away, you smelled your arm, and washed yourself again just to be sure the smell of Steve was well and truly off you. With his blood mingling with yours, his scent would probably be impossible to fully get rid of. 

Regardless, you did your best.

You switched the water to cold and stood beneath the stream. The cold water woke you up and soothed your slightly scalded skin. You rinsed your hair one more time and shut off the water. You wrung out your hair, grabbed a towel from the rack, and dried off, carefully tucking the towel over your chest as you ventured into the bedroom. Loki was back on the bed, his back straight against the headboard and his legs stretched out in front of him, with a book in his lap. He saw you and stood, tossing the book onto the bedside table. 

“Better?” you asked, rifling through the closet. Focused on your search for clothes, you didn’t notice him move behind you. You startled at the feeling of hands settling on your hips and turned, looking up at him. 

“Much,” he confirmed, bending to kiss you. 

You hummed with delight as his lips met yours and wrapped your arms around his neck. With the stretch it took to meet him, your towel unwrapped, pinned to your chest by Loki pressed against you. The rest of you was bare. 

“I think we should spend the night in,” he mumbled near your mouth.

“I don’t mind,” you purred. “But you’d better cough up all the things you said you’d tell me.”

“Later.” He pulled away ever so slightly, and the towel fell to the ground. “Right now I’ve got other things in mind.” 

“And you say I’m insatiable,” you tsked. You grinned up at him and jumped, wrapping your legs around his waist. He caught you easily, holding you up with his hands on your ass. 

Loki smirked. “You are,” he purred. “You’re a bad influence.”

You snorted. You, the bad influence? Yeah, right. You shook your head and kissed him. Loki carried you to the bed and you let go of his neck once he set you down, sprawling out on top of the covers. 

“You’re stunning, do you know that?” Loki marveled. He ran his hands down your stomach to your hips and then to your thighs, which he squeezed heartily. “Unbelievable.”

A shiver ran through you. You grinned up at him. “You’re in a good mood,” you said. 

“My dear, I’m always in a good mood when you’re near.”

“Sick rhyme.”

His expression soured. “I take it back,” sniffed Loki.

“Nooooo!” You laughed and sat up, tugging him on top of you. He eased himself onto the bed beside you, and you rolled onto him, straddling his hips as you sat up again. “Take back your take back,” you demanded, pointing at him.

“Very well,” he amended, a soft smile gracing his features. 

“So,” you drawled, unbuttoning his shirt. “What was that about spending the night in…?”

His thin fingers skated over your skin, settling on your hips. “I assure you I haven’t forgotten.”

You smiled and flung his shirt open. It parted neatly to reveal the smooth plane of his chest, and you couldn’t resist stroking the pale flesh. “It’s like you’re made of marble,” you sighed. “Like someone sculpted you just for me.” You slid one hand down to the waistband of his pants, undoing the fly with ease. The green fabric of his boxer briefs peeked at you through the open zipper, the black of the elastic offsetting the white of his skin. “If I had an aesthetic blog, I’d just post pictures of you and that’s it.”

Loki looked confused, his eyebrows furrowed together. “What does that mean?” he asked.

“Don’t worry about it.” You leaned forward and kissed him. A soft gasp of surprise left you as his hands came up to cup your breasts. Your head started to become fuzzy, and without really realizing it, you began to grind against him. 

Loki raised his hips and slid off his pants, unwaveringly graceful. He kicked them to the side. “Tell me,” he insisted.

“It’s an internet thing,” you sighed, rolling your hips down. You set your hands on his chest to give yourself better leverage. “I’m saying you’re pretty.” 

“Pretty,” he repeated in a mumble. “I’ll accept that as a compliment.”

You rolled your eyes up to the ceiling. “Oh my God, shut up.” Your hair was tugged suddenly. Your eyes darted back to Loki, who wore a familiar smirk.

“If you’re rude, I won’t give you anything,” he said simply. He rocked his hips up, his erection dragging deliciously against your clit. “Apologize.”

Brat switch activated. “No.”

Loki’s smirk faded. Through your bond with your sire you could feel a twinge of annoyance mixing with his arousal. “Apologize,” he repeated. 

“No,” you repeated back. Your hair was tugged again and you winced, lolling your head back to release some of the tension. You felt Loki sit up, his chest just inches from yours.

“This was supposed to be nice,” he said, sounding almost disappointed. “But you’ve ruined that, haven’t you? You’re going to make me punish you.” He released your hair. You looked down in time to see him shake his head. “Shame.”

“You don’t—“ You bit your lip. “It can still be nice,” you managed.

Loki’s eyebrows raised. “Are you going to apologize for being rude?” He was obviously waiting for an answer.

You weighed the options. If you said no, he’d probably keep his word and punish you. If you said yes, and then apologized, he’d go back to being lovey. Maybe even more lovey, since you would be proving you could be good. 

“Well?”

His impatience was growing. “Yes,” you said softly. “I’m sorry for telling you to shut up.” 

Loki softened instantly, giving you a loving smile. “You’re forgiven,” he said, pushing your hair back from your face. 

You smiled back. “Kiss me?” 

“Kiss you?” he repeated. “Darling, I’ll do a lot more than kiss you.” Loki tugged you into a kiss. You laughed against his lips, and when you pulled back, you could see he was floating slightly above the bed. 

“Hey,” you said with a laugh, “You’re floating!”

“Yes, you aren’t the only one who can float,” he mused. He positioned himself normally on the bed, his head resting against the pillows, his hair splaying out prettily. You remained seated on his lap. 

“How exactly do we do that, by the way? Like are vampire physics different, or—“

Loki sat up and secured his hand over your mouth. “Darling,” he sighed. “We were in the middle of something, remember?” He took his hand back. 

“I guess we’ll come back to that later,” you sighed in return. 

Loki rolled his eyes and flopped dramatically against the pillows, his hand placed lightly against his forehead. “The mood is gone.”

“You’re grouchy when you’re horny,” you said with a snort.

“I’m not—“

You interrupted him with a kiss and settled against his chest. His arms wrapped loosely around your waist. While you kissed him, you played with a strand of his hair, curling it around your finger and letting it slide off. You’d forgotten you were naked, until his hand slid down to your ass. You jolted lightly against him, and felt him smile against your lips. You were unable to keep from smiling back. “What?” you whispered. 

“You’re cute,” was his hushed reply. 

You hummed, affection overwhelming you. Love slid back and forth between the bond, leaving you fit to burst. “Mean it?”

“Of course.”

You laughed quietly and kissed him again. It was easy to slip back into the mood from earlier, especially when Loki rocked his hips up, subtly grinding against you. You propped yourself up on your hands so you could grind against him in return. His grip on your ass tightened. A sharp bolt of arousal shot through the bond, the intensity making you dizzy. You reached down and pushed on the waistband of his boxer briefs, hoping he’d get the idea. You displaced yourself for a moment to allow him to strip them off, then returned to his lap. His erection slid between your slick folds as your ground steadily against him. 

“Do you want me?” you breathed, lifting your hips so his cock was positioned at your entrance.

Loki’s hand traced the curve of your back. “More than anything,” he said. 

You pushed down and gasped as he was sheathed inside you. Your walls tightened. Loki’s head tilted back and he let out a quiet sigh, his eyes fluttering shut. Sitting up straight, you set a hand on his thigh and clenched your jaw as you adjusted to the new angle. 

You slowly lifted your hips and gasped as his cock dragged against that spot inside you that made you see stars. Your head was in a tizzy, hot flashes of pleasure pumping through your veins, egged on by Loki’s arousal that flared through the bond. “I-It’s getting real hard to make this last,” you gasped.

“Tell me about it,” he mumbled. Icy eyes peeked at you from beneath dark lashes. “Come here.” At his request, you leaned down, gasping softly at yet another angle. Loki pulled you down the rest of the way so he could kiss you. His hips pushed up, making you moan against his lips as he pushed in deeper.

Loki began to steadily thrust up into you. A part of you was a little disappointed; you were hoping to do the work this time. That disappointment quickly faded as he fucked you harder, his lips locked to yours the entire time. You threaded your hands in his hair and met each thrust with a bounce of your own. 

A whine left your throat and you sat up slightly, pushing down as much as you could until your pelvis was flush with his. You cried out. Your head tossed back. “Oh, Loki,” you gasped. “I’m—“

Your orgasm overtook you suddenly, leaving your sentence unfinished and stealing your breath. Loki tugged you into a harsh kiss. Your eyes fluttered. Loki’s teeth clacked against yours. You were dimly aware of his few final thrusts, and of him spilling inside you with a shaky moan. 

You laid against him, shaking slightly. “Christ,” you murmured. “Do you reckon it’ll always be this intense?”

“Hard to say,” mumbled Loki, his mouth against the crown of your head. 

“Well,” you sighed. “I guess we’ll find out.” 

Once your head felt clear enough, you moved off of him, whimpering slightly at the loss. Loki’s cum leaked onto your thigh, but you hardly noticed. “Sooooo…”

Loki sighed, turning his head ever so slightly so he could look at you from the corner of his eye. “Can’t we have a few moments of silence?”

You pondered his question. “You said—“

“I know what I said,” Loki said, cutting you off. He turned towards you and propped his head up on his hand. “Listen to what I’m saying now.”

You mirrored his posture. “I’m listening,” you said sweetly.

“Lay with me here for a few minutes.” He snaked his arm around your waist. “In silent, post-coital bliss. Please.”

You scooted closer, tracing a circle around his heart. “I guess I could,” you said. “But—“

“I know,” he sighed. “After which, I will tell you everything you want to know.”

You grinned up at him. “Okay, deal.” You pressed a quick peck to his lips and cuddled up to him fully. You wrapped your arms around his slim waist, your head pressed against his chest. Loki stroked your spine languidly, letting out a contented hum. You glanced over his shoulder at the clock. You’d give him at least 10 minutes before you began to pester him again.

“Very generous of you,” he deadpanned.

You snickered. “What happened to silence and post-coital bliss?” you teased. 

“I think it must be impossible for you to be truly silent.”

“Oh, absolutely,” you agreed. “Part of my charm.”

Loki let out a soft chuckle of agreement, and then it was back to silence. 

A little drowsy from the sex, you started to lightly doze. Your eyes would open and droop shut again. Your breath evened out, synced with Loki’s. Before you knew it, you slipped into unconsciousness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry for that break! Hard to get inspiration in a pandemic, y'know? But I'll do my best! Hope you're all safe and adjusting. Love you! Requests are open by the way, if you'd like something specific to read while self isolating. Please don't hesitate to ask!


	13. XIII. Experience pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reveal.

You jolted awake, gasping as you sat up.

“What?” Loki exclaimed, sitting up as well.

“How long was I out?” you asked, rubbing your eyes.

“Hardly long at all. I didn’t even register—“

“Okay,” you said. “So tell me about your night last night.”

“Wouldn’t you like a blood bag first? Surely you must be hungry.”

You narrowed your eyes at your sire. “You’re avoiding the question,” you accused. “And I’m not hungry at all, thank you very much.”

Loki grimaced, looking away from you. “You’ve caught me,” he admitted. You waited for him to continue, for once not talking to alleviate the mood. Loki ran his hand through his hair, his eyes straying from you. He cleared his throat. “Please stop staring at me.”

“I’ll start for you,” you said sternly. “We went into the city so I could meet Steve, and on the way we ran into—”

“I know,” Loki said, cutting you off. “We ran into the city clan.”

“And you made some so-so introductions,” you mused.

Loki gave you a withering glare. “The introductions were fine. It’s not my fault they caught us off guard. Had I been prepared, perhaps I would have been more in depth.”

You hummed and cuddled up to him, resting your chin on his shoulder. “You’re stalling again,” you said in a sing-song voice. “Just tell me, Loki. What was the business you had to attend to, hm? How are you so familiar with the city clan? Thor mentioned he was your brother—?”

Loki moved so fast, you fell onto bed with a gasp. You pushed yourself up and moved aside your hair, revealing Loki on the other side of the room, his arms wrapped around his waist, his back turned to you. You sighed, a strand of hair flying back from your face with the gust of air. Slowly, you got out of bed and approached him. “Alright,” you said softly. You grabbed his robe from the closet and placed it over his shoulders. “It’s okay.” He flinched slightly when you stroked his arm. 

He cleared his throat and stuck his arms through the robe, tying it closed. “Thank you,” said Loki. 

“Loki, what the hell?” you asked as gently as you could. “I’ve never seen you act like this.” You stepped away from him and grabbed a robe for yourself, slipping it on. You let it hang open. You ran your hands through your hair before crossing your arms over your chest. “It’s like you’re…”

“Like I’m what?” His voice had an edge of challenge. He looked at you with a raised eyebrow. “Go on. Say it.”

You shifted from foot to foot and looked away. “Like you’re scared,” you managed. “I don’t like it.”

Loki remained perfectly still, though he looked away as well. The two of you made a matching pair of perfect statues. It was a long time before he spoke, and when he finally did, it was in a whisper. “I am scared, (Y/N),” he said. “This changes everything.”

“What do you mean?” 

“The clan knows about you, which means  _ he  _ could come knocking any day now,” Loki hissed. “I won’t expose you to him. I just won’t. Not after all that blasted nonsense.” He huffed.

“ _ Who??” _ you exclaimed, raising your hands towards the sky in exasperation. “Quit it with the cryptic shit, Loki! Who is he?”

Loki grimaced. When he looked at you again, a burst of sorrow flowed through the bond. “I hoped I’d have longer with you,” he said softly. He closed the space between you, his hand drifting to your cheek. “Just us.”

You put your hand over his, looking up at him. “It is just us, Loki.”

“Not anymore, darling.” His thumb ghosted over your cheekbone. “I’m sure he’ll cause a proper racket once he finds out about you,” he sighed.

“Who?” you pleaded, unable to stand it any longer. “Who are you talking about?”

Loki’s face hardened. “Odin,” he spat, voice thick with vitriol. “The leader of the city clan. The man I used to call my father.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may be thinking, "Liv, this is. Nothing." And you'd be right. Sorry! Really short chapter cause I'm a messy bitch who lives for drama. Next one will be longer to make up for it. (Probably. We'll see. I have to write it first.) Love you! Thanks for reading!


	14. XIV. Experience pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The explanation.

You rubbed your temples as you attempted to process what Loki had just told you. “Wait,” you said, uncertainty inflecting your voice. “I don’t get it. Your dad’s super dead and also in England. I think. Or maybe Canada. You weren’t super clear about that—” Loki steered you back towards the bed, apparently fine with being touched now that he’d gotten that off his chest. “Why would—?” You cut yourself off and looked up at Loki with pleading eyes as you sat on the edge of the bed. 

Loki sighed. “Get comfortable, darling,” he suggested. “This may take a while.” 

You settled fully onto the bed with only mild grumbling, looking at him expectantly once you were settled. Loki began to pace the length of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest with one hand cupping his chin. “Where to start,” he murmured to himself. 

“The beginning?” you suggested, unable to keep your cheekiness restrained. A pulse of amusement rocketed through the bond, and you grinned. Better than the sorrow from before. 

“The beginning is. Fuzzy,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “If you’ll recall, my Turning was not a good one.” Loki waited for you to nod before he continued. “Much of the beginning is a blur. Many bloody nights of hunting and passing out in the cemetery before dawn.” You must have made a face, because he gestured towards you and said, “It was a different time. Everything was different.”

“How did you not die, like, immediately?” you asked in alarm. 

He waved away the question. “I don’t know,” said Loki, honestly. “The danger never occurred to me. I was lost, and maddeningly hungry all the time.” Loki seemed lost in thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on the coffin at the foot of the bed. “What do you know about werewolves?” he asked suddenly.

“Not much,” you admitted. “They transform under a full moon. They live in packs.” You scrunched up your nose as you remembered your meeting with Thor and the others. “They smell bad.”

Loki barked out a laugh. “You’re not wrong there, love.” He stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at you. His stare was intense and you fought not to shrink under his gaze. “What did you feel when you met Thor and his crew?”

You shifted on the bed and brought your knees to your chest. “Um, curiosity, I guess?” you ventured. “Mostly distaste because of the smell…”

A small smirk was briefly visible on Loki’s lips. “Vampires and werewolves have a hard time being in close proximity. We’re both territorial and our biologies just don’t click; we have to choose to be this way in order to survive the Turning. They don’t have a choice at all. Every full moon their bones are forcefully broken and melded together again. Twice,” he exclaimed. “Can you even imagine how painful that is?”

You shook your head and brought your knees closer to your chest. Poor Thor! Your heart ached for the kind man and his pack. 

“The Turning process, as you well know, is no walk in the park, but roughly a month or two of pain, compared to an eternity of transformation…” Loki trailed off and was quiet for a long time, his gaze once again fixed on his coffin. “Well,” he said finally, “it’s no contest about who gets the shorter end of the supernatural stick.” 

“So werewolves are immortal too?” you asked. 

Loki nodded. “Yes. Not invincible, though,” he said, with a hint of amusement that mildly baffled you. “Good healers. Better than us.”

“They’d have to be,” you mumbled. “They keep breaking bones.”

“You’re very bright, you know.”

You grinned. “So I’ve been told.” You unfolded yourself and crawled towards him. You could feel turmoil through the bond. He was distracting you again. “What does this have to do with Odin?” you asked. 

“Odin is a werewolf,” sighed Loki. “A very old and powerful werewolf.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Then why—?”

“Patience.” Loki pushed your hair away from your face, studying you for a moment. “I had a point.” His mouth thinned into a line. “Don’t make that face at me.”

You stuck out your tongue, relaxing your raised eyebrows. “Then get to it,” you teased. “Just because it’s a long story doesn’t mean it has to be boring.” 

He turned away from you, his arms crossing over his chest again. “I could not tell you at all…”

“Loki,” you sighed in exasperation.

Loki glanced at you from the corner of his eye, and grinned, turning towards you once more. “Very well,” he said. “I shall continue.” 

“As I said, I was very lost. I ran more on hunger and pain than any sort of rational thought.”

“You were feral,” you marveled.   


Loki’s face scrunched up with distaste. “If that helps you understand, then yes,” he sighed. “I was feral. Until another vampire took me in. She helped me get out of the cemetery and offered structure to my newly undead lifestyle.” Loki smiled fondly. “She taught me to accept what I was and how to cultivate my gifts.” The smile faded.

“What is it?” you asked. “What could be wrong about that?”

“Nothing,” said Loki softly. “She was very kind to me. She was also Odin’s wife.”

You gasped. “A werewolf and a vampire…? Married? You just told me our biologies didn’t sync up.”

Loki gave a noncommittal shrug of one shoulder. “They make it work. Together they run the city clan. Well.” Loki paused. “I should say Odin runs the clan. Frigga does what she can, but ultimately Odin’s rule is law.”

You brought your hand to your forehead as you considered the new information Loki had presented to you. “You said Frigga helped you after your Turning.”

“I did.”

“That was 180-something years ago,” you said. “And in London.”

“It was.”

“Why did the clan move here?” you exclaimed. “To Texas, of all places?”

“That’s where things get tricky,” Loki admitted. “Let me explain the dynamic of the clan a little more, and maybe it will become clearer. Frigga and Odin run it like a family. Thor was ‘adopted’ first.” Loki made air quotes when he said adopted. “Then Volstagg and the others, then me. I—”

“Aww,” you interrupted. “You’re the baby!”

Loki shut his mouth. His stare was harsh as he looked at you. “I’m not the baby,” he said coolly.

You steepled your index fingers together and looked away. “You’re kinda the baby.”

“(Y/N)—”

“Sorry sorry, go on. Keep explaining,” you said with a grin. 

Loki let out an annoyed huff, but continued nonetheless. “We lived in England for a while,” he said, “But eventually the concentration of people got to be too much. We weren’t very careful, you see. People were starting to suspect things. We had to leave, and Odin decided it would be better to get a new start in the new world.” 

You had to laugh. “New World? Loki, it was probably like the 1900’s by that time. America was well established by then,” you pointed out. 

“Are you going to poke fun at me and interrupt me the whole time, or will you let me tell the story?” he fumed. 

You quieted. “Don’t say funny things if you don’t want me to make fun of you,” you mumbled. 

Loki looked about ready to strangle you. “You used to be so good. What happened?” He sighed. “Anyway, we moved to New York—”

“As you do in the 1900s,” you piped up.

Loki ignored you. “It was too much for Odin’s taste, so we moved further down the coast until we landed in Virginia. That’s where we picked up Valkyrie—”

“That’s not her real name, right?” you asked. “And like, your birth name probably wasn’t Loki, right? Cause that’d be a weird coincidence—”

Loki set his hand over your mouth. It was obvious your interruptions were not appreciated. “You’re right,” he said. “Very perceptive.” Your chest swelled under his praise, even though his hand covered your smile. “Yes, part of joining Odin’s clan involves a name change. Not all clans require it, but it is not uncommon. It maintains the sense of family and sameness.” Loki glanced down at you. “If I remove my hand, will you remain quiet?” 

You shrugged. Loki removed his hand anyway. You started talking again immediately. “Sounds like a cult.”

Loki groaned and ran his hand down his face. “It’s not a cult, it’s just—” He waved his hands in the air in exasperation. “Tradition. I don’t know. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” 

“How come you didn’t change my name?” you asked. 

“I like your name.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” he said. “Now shut up.” 

Loki took a deep breath. “Odin made us move repeatedly. He’s a very paranoid man. Eventually, we ended up in Galveston via boat, and now we’re here.” He seemed to wait for an interjection. He glanced at you, and you shrugged. Nothing came to you at the moment, so he continued, uninterrupted for once. “I left the clan in the 90’s and cut off contact with everyone. Well, mostly everyone.”

“Can I guess?”

“Can you guess what?” he asked.

“Who you didn’t cut off contact with.”

Loki sighed. “If you must.”

“Was it Thor? No, wait, Thor mentioned something about not having seen you for a while.” You tapped your chin and hummed as you thought. “I bet it was Frigga.”

“You’re a regular Dick Tracy,” he snarked. “Yes, I do keep in contact with Frigga. She graciously supplies me with blood from their stash.”

“Wow,” you marveled. “Is it like a wine cellar? Do they have a special chilled room? Or like a big freezer?” You gasped as a thought occurred to you. “Or is it like a fresh from the tap situation? Do they have a bunch of humans they keep—”

Again, Loki’s hand covered your mouth. “I don’t believe that’s any of your business at the moment, nor do I particularly feel like explaining it.”

“You’re no fun,” you grumbled, pushing his hand away. 

“In any case, it was Frigga that I went to see while you had your…” He cleared his throat. “Rendezvous with Steven.” 

“Was the meeting with Thor planned?”

“Not by me,” he said with a troubled frown. “I expect Odin had something to do with it. He knows where I am, not that I’ve ever attempted to hide my location.”

A pulse of uncertainty traveled through the bond. It seemed Loki was really troubled by this. You cuddled closer to him and wrapped your arms around his waist. In return, his arm snaked around your shoulders. “It’ll be okay,” you said with forced cheerfulness. You held the hand he had curled in his lap, rubbing your thumb over his knobby knuckles. 

“I can’t stand that man,” he said quietly. “It’s like he has to control everything.”

“Maybe he’s softened in the thirty years you’ve been gone,” you suggested. 

“I doubt it,” Loki said sourly. “Odin is the most stubborn man I’ve ever met. I don’t think he’d change three centuries of behavior in a few decades.”

You let a beat of silence pass. “What do we do now?” you asked softly. 

Loki pressed a soft kiss to your forehead and pulled you tighter against him. “Now,” he said, “We wait.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I'm a dialogue writer? 
> 
> All I know is exposition, I'm sorry.


	15. XV. Experience pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The visit.

“I want to see the clan again,” you announced to Loki, standing in the center of his office. 

Loki didn’t even look up from the paper he was scribbling on. “No,” he said simply.

“But—”

“Out of the question. We’re waiting for Odin’s retaliation.”

You scoffed. “You make it sound like it’s war,” you said. 

He did look up at you then, his icy eyes narrowed. “It is,” he said. “And fraternizing with the enemy’s clan is, how do the kids say it? It is not the move.” Loki looked back down at the papers on his desk and began to write once again. 

You laughed out loud, which caused Loki to smile. “I don’t know what kids you’ve been talking to, but I’m pretty sure no one talks like that.” You snuck around his desk and floated up so you could hug him around the shoulders while looking at what he was working on. It was hard to make out words in his looping script, but you got some sense of what it said. “Writing Frigga?” you asked. 

Loki nudged your head away so your mouth wasn’t so close to his ear. “Yes,” he said. “I’m trying to get her opinion on the situation.”

“That’s good.” You ignored the nudge and snuggled closer to him, burying your face in his neck. “I’m hungry,” you whined. 

“Go get a blood bag from the fridge.”

“No, like. Hungry hungry. I wanna call Steve.”

Loki heaved a heavy sigh. “I’d rather you not leave the house,” he said. 

“Steve could come here,” you suggested.

Loki’s response was immediate. “Absolutely not. He’ll stink up the place. I won’t have it.” 

“Whaaaaat?” you drawled. “No he wouldn’t. He smells great. Besides, you have that extra room upstairs. I’ll put him in there for the night and then he can go home in the morning once he wakes up.” 

Your argument was a little harder for Loki to fight, but he did anyway. “How would you explain me then, hm? The fool doesn’t know about me.”

You rolled your eyes. “He knows I have a roommate. That’s you, baby.” You pressed a big kiss to his cheek and transferred yourself from the air to his desk. You crossed one leg over the other and leaned back. “Want me to tell him to bring his friend Bucky so you can have a snack too?” you teased.

“I’ve never heard a more repulsive offer,” he sniffed. Loki set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his hair. “If you must call the human, do it, but please. Leave me out of it.”

“So, he can come over?” 

Loki considered you for a long time. You fidgeted slightly, playing with the little Newton’s Cradle he had near the front of his desk. The clack of the metal balls filled the silence. When you looked at him again, his eyes were still trained on you. “Yes,” he said finally.

You squealed and hopped off the desk, sliding into his lap. “You’re the best,” you purred. You kissed him, sending little fireworks through your veins. His hands settled on your thighs and slid up to your hips. 

“The things I do for you,” he sighed. 

You grinned. “Aren’t you worried you’ll spoil me?”

He nodded grimly. “Every night. It’s my largest anxiety.”

You laughed and kissed him again. “Well,” you said, “You don’t need to worry anymore.” You twirled a strand of his hair around your index finger. “I’m already spoiled.” You tugged on his hair, making him wince slightly, and slid off his lap. As you leaned over to pick up the phone, he swatted your ass. You stuck your tongue out at him as you dialed Steve’s number. 

Steve picked up almost immediately. “(Y/N)?” He sounded nervous.

“Hi Steve,” you said brightly. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t— Nevermind. How are you? It’s been a while, I thought maybe…” He trailed off. 

“Maybe what?”

Steve hesitated. “Maybe you didn’t want to see me again,” he said. 

“Oh, no! Of course I do,” you exclaimed. You glanced at Loki to see he was scowling. When he saw you looking, his face settled into something more neutral and he gave you a thumbs up. You covered your mouth to keep from laughing. “Listen, I was gonna ask if you wanted to come over tonight. I live a little bit out of the city, but it’s not super far.” 

There was a pause you took as a stunned silence. “Yeah, yeah. Of course. What’s the address?”

You looked at Loki. What  was the address? Loki sighed and wrote it down for you. You recited it to Steve. 

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll be there soon. What, uh, what are we doing?”

“I figured we could just watch a movie or something,” you said pleasantly. “Just hang out. Don’t worry, I have no ulterior motives.” Loki snickered, and you kicked his shin.

Steve laughed as well. “Okay, well, I’ll see you soon.”

“Be careful,” you said. “See ya.” You hung up and turned to Loki with your arms crossed over your chest. “You need to get another phone in the house. I’m sick of calling people with you in the room.”

“You know I’d go to whatever room you’re in,” he said with a grin. 

You sighed dramatically and draped yourself over his desk, careful not to mess up his papers in the process. “You’re impossible,” you declared. 

Loki poked your stomach, making you curl up in defense and push his hand away. He laughed. “Maybe so, but you knew what you so insistently signed up for.” 

You remained curled and sat up. You glanced at him for a moment before launching yourself at him. You peppered his face with kisses, floating just out of his reach as you pushed him back in his desk chair. You settled in his lap once more and sighed happily, a steady pulse of affection flowing through the bond from both sides. “I did,” you said. “And boy am I glad I did.” You kissed him again, this time on the lips. “I love you.”

Loki softened, and for a moment, he looked as if he may cry. “I love you, too. Very much.” He kissed you gently. The tenderness was overwhelming. You two stayed like that for a while, curled together. 

Then, the doorbell rang. Loki dumped you onto the ground and rushed to answer the door, followed by your outraged yell. Seeing as his speed far outdid your own, by the time you had recovered, Loki was already creaking the door open, revealing a surprised and rather confused-looking Steve. “Steve, right?” Loki asked, highly amused by his expression.

“Yeah,” Steve managed rather weakly. “Who are you?”

“I’m—”

You shouldered Loki to the side with a glare and turned to Steve with a smile. “Hi, Steve,” you greeted. “Sorry about him.”

“(Y/N),” sighed Steve. “Thank goodness, I was worried I had the wrong address at first.” He took his hands out of his pockets and leaned towards you. “This place is kinda spooky.”

“Tell me about it,” you said brightly. You gestured for him to come in and stepped aside, bumping into Loki’s chest. “This is my roommate, Loki.” 

Steve, now visibly more relaxed, stuck his hand out for Loki to shake. Loki stared at it for a moment. Internally, you pleaded for him to take it. No reason to make the situation more awkward than it already was. 

Loki took his hand and gave him an easy smile. 

Steve seemed relieved. “It’s nice to meet you, Loki,” said Steve. “Big house. Do you guys live here alone?”

“Yep,” Loki said. “Just me and my girl.”

Steve paled slightly and looked to you for help. Loki had yet to let go of his hand, and appeared to be squeezing it with increasing strength. 

“Okay!” You nudged Loki with your hip, making him release Steve’s hand. In one smooth motion, you pushed Steve away from Loki and towards the kitchen. “This was sufficiently weird. Let me get you a drink and show you around, Steve.”

“Nice to meet you, Steven,” Loki called as you pushed Steve through the kitchen door. 

“What’s his deal?” Steve asked as soon as you were safely in the kitchen. 

“He’s…” You fought to think of a word. Loki supplied a few in your head, but you ignored them. “Eccentric,” you decided. “Don’t mind him.” You rummaged around in one of the cabinets. “Now.” You turned to him with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. “Want a drink?”


	16. XVI. Experience pt. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The visit pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some language in here that reminded me of non-con elements, so I just wanted to put a little warning here to let you know if you're sensitive to that kind of thing!

You ensured Steve had at least two glasses of wine before you showed him around. At the very least, you were hoping that during the time it took Steve to drink those two glasses, Loki would get bored and gravitate back towards his office. Unfortunately, that was not the case. He was right outside the kitchen door as you led Steve through it once again, poised with his back against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. You groaned. “Don’t you have things to do?” you asked Loki.

“And miss the wonderful tour you’re about to give Steven?” Loki asked, his eyes wide. “Not in a million years.” 

You rolled your eyes. “You’re bugging my guest,” you told Loki, briefly baring your fangs at him. He was unperturbed. Loki probably thought it was more funny than anything else. 

Steve shifted uncomfortably, but, for some reason, stuck up for your sire. “I don’t mind, (Y/N),” he said. “He can come if he wants.”

Loki looked at you with delight, taunting you with his eyes. “See? Steven doesn’t mind.”

“Just Steve is fine,” said Steve.

Loki smiled at your guest. “Alright, Steven.”

Steve did not correct him again, instead looking away while clearing his throat.

“Loki,” you said firmly. “Leave us alone.”

“Very well,” he sighed, after a staredown that lasted far too long. “Only because you’re tiresome when you’re grumpy.” Loki affectionately tapped his knuckles against your cheek and smiled once again at Steve. “It really was lovely meeting you, Steven.”

“Yeah, you too,” Steve managed with a weak smile. 

Loki looked at you, and then at Steve, then at you again. His smile turned mischievous. “Oh no,” you mumbled under your breath. “Don’t—“

Loki lightly grabbed your shoulders, giving you time to pull away. You stiffened in his grip, but you didn’t move, too entranced by his actions. He leaned down and kissed you tenderly, his lips sliding against yours in a way that nearly made you swoon. His grip on your shoulders tightened and he tugged you closer. Your body was just barely away from his, a paper-thin space between you. 

He released you once he was satisfied he got his point across. “Have fun,” Loki said breezily. Then, he turned and vanished into his office at the end of the hall. 

You and Steve stared after him, both of your mouths agape. 

“What was that?” Steve asked, his voice about an octave above his normal tone.

You cleared your throat and wiped your mouth, trying to ignore the way your legs shook beneath you. “Again, sorry about him,” you mumbled. “He’s just trying to intimidate you.” Arousal stirred in your stomach, mixing with your hunger. “Bastard.” In your head, you could hear Loki laugh. 

“What a weird guy,” Steve mumbled beside you.

“Tell me about it.” You took a deep breath and steadied yourself, giving Steve a smile. “Again, sorry. Still want that tour?”

Steve blinked several times, snapping out of whatever trance he was in. “Uh, yeah. Sure.” His shoulders relaxed and he exhaled heavily. “Yeah,” he said, sounding like himself. “Let’s do it.” He smiled at you, and you knew he was fine.

You hooked your arm through his and dragged him into the living room. “You’ve seen the kitchen and caught a glimpse of Loki’s office. This is the living room.” You flicked on the light and gestured around. “There’s a bathroom back there.” You pulled him towards the doors at the back of the living room which were blocked by heavy drapes. You dragged them aside to reveal the doors. 

“Are these blackout curtains?” Steve asked, considering the fabric. 

“Yep!” You opened the doors to the backyard. “Wanna see the pool?”

“Uh, sure,” he said, mildly perplexed. “You have a pool?”

You pushed him outside without answering and led him to the backyard. “Wow,” said Steve as he took it in. “This is…” He fought to think of a word. You let him flounder until he settled on one. “Extensive,” he finished weakly. “How do you guys afford all of this?”

“Loki owns it. I just live here.” You guided him to the porch swing on the other side of the pool, close to the woods that lined the property, and sat down. He sat next to you, his arm resting on the back of the chair. 

“Holy cow,” Steve murmured, still looking around. You could see that the curtains on the window of Loki’s office were closed, but you still felt him there, observing. You kicked your legs slowly, rocking the swing, letting Steve get accustomed to the place. It was interesting to get a glance of an outside point of view. Since Loki took you to his house immediately after your upturning, and your human memories not involving Loki were fuzzy, you didn’t really get it. It was all you knew. Seeing Steve in awe of the place was a nice change of pace. 

After a moment of silence, Steve spoke again. “Sorry,” he said, his cheeks tinged with a blush. “I don’t mean to seem like such a city boy, but the idea of having this much space is wild to me.”

“Explain.”

“I grew up in Brooklyn,” he said, and chuckled. “Not exactly known for its wide open spaces.”

“No,” you agreed. “Maybe not.” You let another beat pass before you asked, “What made you come to Texas?”

“Bucky and I were childhood friends, and then we were in the army together. After he was medically discharged, I retired so I could take care of him. I think we both just really wanted a fresh start,” he said. His eyes were focused on the stars. He seemed wistful, almost. He obviously cared a lot about his friend. “The last place we were stationed was Fort Hood. I did some instruction there,” he filled in.

“Oh,” you said. You hadn’t pegged him for a teacher. “That’s kinda far though.”

He laughed. “Everything in Texas is far.”

“So true,” you sighed. You settled against his side and joined him staring at the stars. His hand settled on your shoulder. You felt comfortable. “Thanks for coming over, Steve.” 

“Hey, no problem, (Y/N),” said Steve. He gave your shoulder a little squeeze. “Thanks for asking me over.”

“Did you still wanna watch a movie?” you asked, looking up at him.

He nodded and took his arm back, getting ready to stand up. “Sure.”

You floated up a little and stood, brushing off your pants. Steve smiled down at you as you again threaded your arm through his. “We can go upstairs the secret back way,” you told him in a hushed tone.

“There’s a secret back way?” he asked, his volume matching yours.

You nodded gravely and let go of his arm, waving him to follow you. You led him around the pool the long way and to the balcony stairs. You walked up the spiral staircase to find Loki leaning against the balcony railing, framed by hanging plants. You stopped short, nearly knocking Steve back down the stairs. “Howdy kids,” Loki greeted languidly. 

You sighed loudly. “I thought you were going to stay in your office,” you whined.

Again, to your surprise, Steve stuck up for Loki. “It’s alright, (Y/N). It’s his house after all.” 

Loki spread his hands in a sort of ‘what can you do’ gesture. “It is my house, darling,” he repeated. “I can’t enjoy my own balcony?”

“I’ll push you off the damn balcony,” you murmured. 

“Words hurt, (Y/N),” Loki purred. He stepped towards you and tugged you to his side, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. “Don’t make me cry in front of Steven.”

“As if,” you groaned, pushing him away. 

Steve watched that exchange with his arms crossed over his chest, one hand covering his mouth. “Is there something going on between the two of you?” he asked, his index finger flippantly pointing from you to Loki and back again.

You and Loki both stopped for a second and stared at Steve. The truth thudded in your chest. You could feel through the bond that even Loki was having mild turmoil over the prospect of potentially taking away the food source you had secured for yourself. 

“Yes,” you said at the same time Loki said, “No.” 

You blinked and looked up at Loki. “You don’t have to lie,” you said.

“But you worked so hard—”

You scrunched up your nose and shook your head. “I didn’t work that hard.”

“Worked so hard at what?” Steve piped up.

You chewed on your bottom lip, looking again to Loki for guidance. He gave you an unhelpful shrug. You looked back to Steve. Stepping away from Loki, you took Steve’s arm and tugged him into the house. “You may want to take a seat,” you said, gesturing to the couch. 

Steve sat. He leaned forward, his left forearm on his left thigh, his right hand propping him up on his right knee. “Alright,” he said once he was settled. “What is it?”

You looked up to see Loki hovering in the doorway. He gave you a thumbs up, and you grinned, your nerves soothed. “Listen, Steve, um…” When you turned your gaze back to Steve, you shied slightly under his concerned look. “This is kinda complicated.”

“That’s alright, (Y/N),” said Steve. “I’m sure I can handle it.”

“Don’t speak too soon,” you murmured. You took a deep breath. “You remember when we went back to your apartment?” Steve’s cheeks reddened slightly. The rush of blood to his face made you remember how hungry you were. You swallowed hard. 

“Yes,” he said. “I do.”

“Okay, um, do you remember anything after we got to your room?”

“I—” Steve stopped. He sat up. “No,” he said quietly, his eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t. Why don’t I remember?”

“Well,” you started, wringing your hands nervously. “That can happen when you lose blood. Plus the feeding causes a big rush of endorphins and hormones and whatever, so…”

“What?”

“She drank your blood, Steve,” Loki supplied from the doorway. 

“What?” Steve repeated in a higher pitch.

“Thanks, Loki,” you said flatly. “Listen, Steve.” You sat next to him, but gave him space so you didn’t freak him out more. “I know this is probably hard to hear, but you came here for a reason, didn’t you? Even when I didn’t call you, you probably dreamt about me, right? Missed me for no reason?”

His eyes widened. “How did you know that?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“Because,” you started, then hesitated. “That’s what happens when the familiar process starts.”

“Familiar process?” he repeated. “What’s familiar about this?”

From his doorway, Loki barked out a laugh. You gave him a brief glare before fixing what you hoped was a comforting gaze on Steve. “No no, a familiar, like a noun, not an adjective,” you explained. “Some vampires take familiars that they feed on regularly. It prevents deaths and is easier on the vampire.”

“She finally said it,” Loki cheered. He plopped onto the couch on Steve’s other side, settling into a splayed position with his limbs hanging over the edges of the couch. “What a terrible game of Password.”

“Loki,” you hissed.

“Vampires?” Steve asked weakly, looking from Loki to you. “You’re vampires? Both of you?”

“Give the man a prize,” Loki drawled. He extended his fangs and grinned at Steve, making Steve jump slightly. 

“Holy shit,” Steve murmured. He looked at you with wide eyes. “So, you want me to be your familiar?” He swallowed hard. “Does that mean you’re going to make me into a vampire?”

“No!” You waved your hands together. “No no, that’s not it. To be a vampire there’d have to be an exchange of blood. Just biting you doesn’t Turn you.”

Steve considered you for a moment. “I’m just for food?”

You chewed on your bottom lip. You knew what it felt like to be a meal, and you didn’t want Steve to feel used. “Partly,” you admitted. “I’d like to get to know you and hopefully become friends!”

“Friends,” he repeated. Steve settled back, his eyes fixed on his reflection in the TV. You and Loki weren’t present in the reflection. “Jesus, you weren’t kidding.”

“She wouldn’t kid you about this, Steven,” Loki mused. “I would, but not (Y/N).” 

“Loki, you’re not helping,” you sighed.

“Sorry.” His smirk told you he wasn’t sorry at all.

“Did you invite me here tonight so you could…” Steve seemed to have a hard time getting his words out. He swallowed hard. “Eat?”

You nodded guiltily. “Yes,” you admitted. “Although now I think my appetite is gone,” you added under your breath. On Steve’s other side, Loki snickered. “You can leave if you want. I won’t, like, force you to let me drink or anything.”

“Spoils the taste anyway,” Loki added unhelpfully. 

Steve rubbed his neck, his hand brushing over the spot you had fed from last time, probably without him realizing it. “I don’t know what to say,” he said finally. “I’m not even completely against the idea, if I’m being honest. I must be stupid.”

“No,” you said quickly. You scooted closer. “You’re not stupid. Your body remembers, even if you don’t, that’s why the thought isn’t unappealing.” 

Steve looked at you from the corner of his eye. “What?"

“It’s a big rush of endorphins, Steve. Good chemicals.” Quietly, you added, “I know you don’t remember, but you asked for more once I finished.”

Steve shivered slightly. “Oh,” he said weakly. “I thought I dreamed that part.” 

Loki snorted. “Watch your mouth, Steven,” he crooned. “That’s my protégé you’re talking about.” 

Steve looked at Loki and then back to you, his eyebrows raised. “His what?”

You sighed. “Loki is the one that Turned me. That means he’s my sire and I’m his creation, or as he likes to call me, his protégé.” You made air quotes as you said ‘protégé’. “I think he just says that to be pretentious, I don’t think that’s the real vampire lingo.” You ignored Loki’s exclamation of protest. “But he’s also just my boyfriend.”

“Just your boyfriend?” he repeated in quiet outrage.

“You know what I mean,” you said, sticking your tongue out at him.

“So you are involved,” Steve said, finally sounding not confused for once. “I knew it.”

You nodded. “I’d hope to not be too obvious about it, but it seems Loki had other ideas,” you said.

“I don’t mind,” Steve said, once again sticking up for Loki for some reason. “I just don’t get why you came on to me if you were already dating Loki?”

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat. “Well,” you started, averting your eyes. “I’m really new to this. Seduction is sort of inherent in the hunting process. It’s the most natural way to get people willing to let you feed. I wasn’t thinking about making you a familiar at first, but you were so sweet...” 

There was a heavy silence that blanketed the room. Even Loki didn’t seem interested in breaking it; he just settled back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest and a little smirk on his face as he looked between you and Steve. 

“Will I remember this time?” Steve finally asked.

“If you think hard enough, you can probably remember the last time,” Loki piped up. “She didn’t use compulsion to make you forget. She doesn’t know how to do that yet.”

Steve seemed to consider Loki’s comment. He stared at you, his eyebrows furrowed together slightly. His cheeks began to gradually turn red and he looked away, rubbing his neck with his hand again. “Oh,” he said, his voice cracking. 

“I think he’s remembered,” Loki jeered. He stood from the couch and stretched. He walked over to you and leaned down, his mouth next to your ear. “I have a very strong feeling he wants to do it again.” 

You watched Loki walk to your joint bedroom and shut the door. Apparently he didn’t want to witness it if Steve was indeed interested. You turned to your guest. “So, um… Do you? Would you let me feed from you again?” 

Steve waited a beat before he nodded. “I guess,” he said hesitantly. “Would this become a regular thing?”

“That’s up to you. I meant it when I said I wanted to be friends. I know what it’s like to be a familiar, and I don’t want you to feel like you’re just a meal,” you said honestly.

Steve’s eyes strayed to the bedroom door. “Did he…?”

You nodded your agreement and looked at the door as well. “That’s how we met actually,” you said with amusement. “I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

“I know what you mean.” 

You met Steve’s eyes and were surprised by the intensity there. “What are you thinking?” you asked gently. Your hunger was starting to return and it made you antsy. 

“I’m thinking that I’m crazy, but I wouldn’t mind being your familiar,” he said earnestly. 

A thrill ran through you and you smiled at him. “Really?” you asked.

“Really.”

You nearly tackled him in a hug, laughing with relief. “You’re the best, Steve. I’ll treat you really well, I promise. And we can totally hang out even when I’m not hungry.” You pulled away from him, but gripped his shoulders. “I really want us to be friends.”

Steve managed to smile. “I do too, (Y/N),” he said. “I hope this works.”

You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Me too,” you said, and you meant it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize it's been like a month since I last updated. Sorry about that! Like a fool, I decided to do summer classes, so that hasn't given me a whole lot of time to write. I hope you're all doing alright. Also, this may not be the most appropriate place to put this, but I just wanted you to know that Black lives matter and if you disagree, I would prefer you didn't read my stuff. I would feel amiss if I didn't use my platform to support Black readers and creators. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Love you!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Thanks for reading!


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